A Baking Article by: Destiny Constantin

Spring has finally arrived. Bright blue skies and sunshine with a cool breeze blowing into the house through the windows. One of my favorite things about springtime is watching the flowers bloom and celebrating Easter with my family, celebrating God’s sacrifices, and thanking him for all that I have. I have learned how to bake from my great-grandmother. One of her traditions was making lemon meringue pie for Easter. I know it is my mother’s favorite pie, and grandma is no longer with us to make it for us, so I thought I would try. Spring is the perfect time to make desserts infused with fresh fruits. A few weeks ago, I made a lemon blueberry bunny cake, and this past weekend, I made a sweet and tart lemon meringue pie for my family’s Easter celebration. I hope you were all able to have a wonderful time with your families.

This week, I would like to share my take on a lemon meringue pie from my kitchen to yours. It’s a lemon curd custard with marshmallow meringue topping and homemade vanilla whip topping on top, and a buttery flakey pie crust.  It’s tart and sweet with a bright lemon flavor and meringue that tastes like marshmallow creme, so if you love lemons and marshmallows as much as I do, you will love this delicious recipe. The following recipe makes one nine-inch pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie Inspired by All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1  cup of cane sugar
• 6 tablespoons cane sugar
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ cup water
• 4 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Homemade Vanilla Whip Cream:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Pie Directions:

1. Gather all of your dry ingredients and measure out the flour, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Combine all the dry ingredients using a whisk and set aside.
2.  In a medium saucepan, whisk together one cup of cane sugar along with the dry ingredients.
3. Stir in water and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, frequently stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.
4. Place egg yolks in a medium-size mixing bowl and gradually whisk in half of the hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture and be careful not to scramble the eggs.
5. Transfer mixture back into the saucepan and continue to cook while constantly stirring until thick. Remove from heat. Let lemon curd cool before adding to the baked pie crust.

Meringue Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy.
2. Gradually add sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
3. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for ten minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Whip Cream Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
2. Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, turn the mixer back up to medium-high and whip for two more minutes until creamy and fluffy, again scraping sides as needed.
4. Spread or pipe on top of the pie when cooled.

Decorating:

1. Place the whipped cream in a pastry bag with a piping tip of your choice.
2. Pipe swirls of whipped cream on top of the pie. You can also place a few spoonsful of whip cream into a liquid measuring cup, add food coloring and add a pop of color to your pie.
3. Refrigerate pie for a few minutes while preparing decorations. You can add sugar flowers, sprinkles, candy, whatever you like.
4. Place the decorations on the pie, and then you are free to cut a slice and enjoy your sweet treat.

I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I had fun eating a slice of pie while spending time with family at the dining room table.

Featured Image by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels