Blue Ribbon Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell (with high fluted edge)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 dash salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 6 egg yolks (slightly beaten)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 bake 9-inch fluted pie shell:.
• 2 preheat oven to 400°f (205°c).
• 3 fit the crust into a pie plate and flute the edge.
• 4 prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.
• 5 bake at 400°f (205°c) for 5 minutes.
• 6 allow to cool while preparing rest of recipe.
• 7 prepare lemon filling:.
• 8 in a medium-size heavy saucepan, mix 1-1/2 cups sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt.
• 9 gradually add water, stirring until well blended.
• 10 bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook 3 minutes.
• 11 remove hot mixture from heat.
• 12 slowly pour about half of mixture into slightly beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly.
• 13 slowly pour egg yolk mixture back into hot mixture, stirring constantly.
• 14 return saucepan to heat.
• 15 bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 3 minutes more.
• 16 add lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter.
• 17 cook about 2 minutes more, stirring with a rubber spatula in a circular motion. do not let mixture stick to bottom of pan. filling will be very thick and spatula will leave a track when drawn through filling.
• 18 cover saucepan and remove from heat; keep warm.
• 19 prepare meringue:.
• 20 preheat oven to 350°f (175°c).
• 21 in a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
• 22 beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• 23 beat in vanilla extract with the last tablespoon of sugar.
• 24 continue beating until egg whites hold a soft peak.
• 25 set aside.
• 26 assemble pie:.
• 27 if filling has cooled, reheat, stirring constantly, before spooning into baked pie shell.
• 28 starting around the edge of pie, spoon meringue over filling, making sure meringue touches fluting on pie shell.
• 29 bake in preheated 350°f (175°c) oven 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.
• 30 cool 4 hours before serving:.
• 31 cool about 4 hours at room temperature before cutting.
• 32 makes one 9-inch pie.