Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie
Maggie Aiken

Filling:
1 baked and cooled pie crust, homemade or store bought
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
7 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs, separated (yolks for custard, reserve whites for meringue-see below)
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

Meringue:
Reserved egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Filling: Combine water, sugar, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 5 to 7 minutes. Beat yolks and temper with a little bit of sugar and water mixture. Once combined, add remaining water and sugar mixture to egg yolk mixture. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into cooled pie crust and set aside.

Meringue: In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover pie with meringue, spreading it to the edge to completely cover the filling and seal the pie. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 to 8 servings