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- 1
Blind bake the crust
On a lightly floured surface, roll your single-crust dough to a 1/8-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond the rim, flute the edge, and refrigerate 30 minutes — chilling relaxes the dough so it holds its shape instead of slumping. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the crust with a double thickness of foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower rack until the edge is golden, 20–25 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake 3–6 minutes more until the bottom is golden. Cool on a wire rack and reduce the oven to 350°F. Blind baking is what keeps the bottom crisp instead of soggy once the filling goes in.
- 2
Cook the lemon filling base
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the 1 cup sugar, the cornstarch, the flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in the water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then reduce the heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more before removing from the heat. Give it the full cooking time — that is what activates the cornstarch and flour so your filling sets up silky instead of runny.
- 3
Temper the yolks and finish the filling
In a small bowl, gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then return everything to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest until smooth, then pour the hot filling into the baked crust. Adding a little hot mixture to the yolks first — tempering — warms them up slowly so they thicken the filling instead of scrambling into it.
- 4
Whip the meringue
In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gradually beat in the 1/2 cup sugar until soft, glossy peaks form. Make sure not a speck of yolk gets into the whites and the bowl is spotless — even a trace of fat will stop the whites from fluffing up tall.
- 5
Top and bake
Spread the meringue over the hot filling, sealing it all the way to the crust edge so it can't shrink back or weep. Bake at 350°F until the meringue is golden, 12–15 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate any leftovers. Spreading the meringue while the filling is still hot and sealing it to the edge is the little trick that keeps the topping from puddling later.
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Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Created by: SugarAndButter
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cup water
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
- Blind bake the crustOn a lightly floured surface, roll your single-crust dough to a 1/8-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond the rim, flute the edge, and refrigerate 30 minutes — chilling relaxes the dough so it holds its shape instead of slumping. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the crust with a double thickness of foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower rack until the edge is golden, 20–25 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake 3–6 minutes more until the bottom is golden. Cool on a wire rack and reduce the oven to 350°F. Blind baking is what keeps the bottom crisp instead of soggy once the filling goes in.
- Cook the lemon filling baseIn a medium saucepan, whisk together the 1 cup sugar, the cornstarch, the flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in the water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then reduce the heat and cook and stir 2 minutes more before removing from the heat. Give it the full cooking time — that is what activates the cornstarch and flour so your filling sets up silky instead of runny.
- Temper the yolks and finish the fillingIn a small bowl, gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then return everything to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest until smooth, then pour the hot filling into the baked crust. Adding a little hot mixture to the yolks first — tempering — warms them up slowly so they thicken the filling instead of scrambling into it.
- Whip the meringueIn a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gradually beat in the 1/2 cup sugar until soft, glossy peaks form. Make sure not a speck of yolk gets into the whites and the bowl is spotless — even a trace of fat will stop the whites from fluffing up tall.
- Top and bakeSpread the meringue over the hot filling, sealing it all the way to the crust edge so it can't shrink back or weep. Bake at 350°F until the meringue is golden, 12–15 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate any leftovers. Spreading the meringue while the filling is still hot and sealing it to the edge is the little trick that keeps the topping from puddling later.