Evelyn Webster's Lemon Meringue Pie

By Patricia Leigh Brown

Updated Nov. 3, 2022

Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(20)
Comments
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Featured in: CURRENTS; Faux Rusticity: An Oven in an Oven

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Ingredients

Yield:1 pie

    The Filling

    • 19-inch pie shell
    • 1½cups sugar
    • ⅓cup cornstarch
    • 1½cups boiling water
    • 3egg yolks, slightly beaten
    • 4tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1½tablespoons grated lemon rind
    • 3tablespoons butter

    The Meringue

    • 3egg whites
    • ¼teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 6tablespoons sugar
    • ½teaspoon vanilla
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

523 calories; 17 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 90 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 63 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 186 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare any basic pie shell; preheat conventional oven to 350 degrees for browning meringue.

  2. Step 2

    To make filling, mix sugar, cornstarch and water in a 1-quart casserole. Cook in microwave oven at 100 percent power 1½ minutes. Stir; turn microwave to 100 percent power and cook 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until thick.

  3. Step 3

    Beat a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks; then stir egg mixture into remaining hot cornstarch and sugar mixture. Cook 45 seconds in microwave oven at 100 percent power. Blend in lemon juice, rind and butter. Pour into shell.

  4. Step 4

    To make meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl until frothy. Beat in sugar, a little at a time. Continue beating until stiff. Beat in vanilla.

  5. Step 5

    Place meringue onto filling, being careful to seal meringue to edge of crust. Put pie in conventional oven; brown lightly at 350 degrees.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
20 user ratings
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Comments

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Joni J

My 11-year old grandson chose this recipe. I balked slightly at the microwave instructions, but he convinced me to let him give it a try. WOW, was I wrong to doubt! Perfect lemon meringue pie and so easy. Added extra lemon because we love the tartastic, but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. Used the remarkable crust from the NYT strawberry rhubarb pie — short chill time, easy to roll and forgivingly elastic.

Barbara

I made this delicious treat last evening and it turned out perfectly. I used a 4cup Pyrex measuring cup to heat the sugar, cornstarch and water and brought it to a boil in the microwave. Then followed the instructions without any glitches. I also used a prepared graham cracker pie crust. Enjoy!

Joanne

Ugh! I did not realize that "prepare pie shell" meant to pre-bake it. Also, the custard did not thicken up even after I cooked it in the microwave for several minutes more than called for. I had to heat on the stove to get it thick. This is a terrible recipe.

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