Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon meringue pie has been one of my all-time favorite desserts for as long as I can remember. However, few things are as disappointing as a bad lemon meringue pie recipe. For me, the crust isn’t as important and I am happy with either a cookie or pastry crust. But the filling and meringue have to be spot on. The filling should be creamy, bright and packed with lemon flavor. The meringue should be marshmallowy with a thin, crisp outer shell adding some chewiness to the pie. I used an easy filling made with sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon juice because the process of lemon meringue can be quite long. The cookie crust also cuts down on time but if you want a more stable crust (one that will last better at room temperature) feel free to go for a baked pie shell. Either store-bought or a homemade pie crust will work well.

Ingredients needed

Graham crackers/Digestive biscuits. Melted butter. I used salted butter but unsalted butter can also be used. Sweetened condensed milk. Eggs. You’ll be using both the egg yolks and egg whites for this recipe. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Caster sugar/super fine sugar.

How to make lemon meringue pie

What is the best meringue for lemon meringue pie?

Swiss Meringue is in my opinion the most stable meringue to work with. It’s a little more work than classic French meringue but it behaves much better. It’s also safe to eat (without baking) as the process of melting the sugar into the egg whites cooks the egg whites.

Can I make a lemon meringue pie in advance?

If you want to make this pie in advance I would suggest baking the crust and filling and then stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Simply top with Swiss meringue, torch and serve.

Can I refrigerate this pie?

You can, but there is a high chance the meringue will weep. If it’s very hot, this might be your only choice. There’s nothing wrong with meringue that is weeping and the pie will still be delicious. If refrigerating, keep the pie loosely covered with foil.