Lemon Meringue Pie

My Jimmy's birthday was this last week.  He's old.  But you know I'm a sucker for older folks, and I will make anything he wants.  I really wanted to make him a Chocolate Cream Cake, but we both decided we needed something a little smaller that could be consumed in one sitting, and not linger around temping us for days.  Jimmy loves lemon.   Lemon bars are his favorite, and he loves pudding-y things too.  Lemon Meringue Pie was the answer.  I love this pie as well, but I have yet to master the dang confection.  It always looks beautiful, but it is usually weepy, soggy, and a disappointment for a cooking perfectionist.  I've been known to throw a pie against the wall when it didn't cut correctly.  (True story, and I am not proud of that moment.  Total loss of control.  Can you imagine such a thing?)

A Lemon Meringue Pie was my first attempt at pie making.  I was in 8th grade, and I had just watched Julia Child make a not so pretty pie on PBS, and figured I could do it too.  The pie ended up beautiful!  There wasn't enough meringue to make a super tall pie, but still it was lovely.  I remember eating it with relish.  I don't remember if it was soggy or not.  14 year olds really don't care much.

I want to master this pie!!  I need some serious help here.  How do you keep the pie from getting soggy, and weepy?  All comments and suggestions are welcome.  Please pass along your Lemon Meringue Pie wisdom.  Someone out there must have this pie down to an art-  love me, and help me here:)  I've got the crust, the lemon curd, all down and maybe I should just be happy with that.  Maybe we'll just start topping our Lemon Meringue Pie with billows of whipped cream---------now that just might be an excellent answer!

Lemon Meringue Pie

recipe courtesy of Kingsford Cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Argo® or Kingsford's® Corn Starch

1-1/2 cups cold water

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

Grated peel of 1 lemon

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter OR margarine

1 baked (9-inch) pie crust

3 egg whites

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Argo Corn Starch

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 1 cup sugar and corn starch in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Stir in egg yolks.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and butter.

Spoon hot filling into pie crust.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy. Mix 1/3 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon corn starch and gradually beat into egg whites. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing to edge of crust.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack at room temperature for 30 minutes; refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.