Rustic Lemon Pie

I would have loved to have called this post "Luscious Lemon Pie" (or something equally compelling), but since I ran into a few snags along the way, it is decidedly something less beautiful.

The good news is that the pie tastes delicious.  Nice and tart - just the way citrus desserts ought to be!

The less exciting news is that my meringue topping kind of... flopped.  In a big way.  (Not to worry; you will be able to avoid this easily).

When I went to whip the egg whites into 'stiff peaks', I encountered a few challenges: 

First, I managed to get some egg yolk into the whites which I wasn't able to easily remove (I find free range eggs, which I'm committed to, a little on the slippy side - either that, or I'm losing dexterity... I don't want to think about the latter). 

Second, I decided to add some vanilla to the whites which rendered them beige. 

Third, and possibly most critical, when I went to dig out the beaters to my ancient handheld mixer, I could only find one... (?!)  I searched up and down the kitchen and eventually into every nook and cranny of the house but couldn't find the other beater ANYWHERE... I asked the boys, but they too, had no clue.  I looked down at my golden retriever... No, not even she could do that!

Mystery unresolved and time ticking on, I decided to whip the egg whites with one beater... It turns out, sheer will alone is not enough.

I eventually had to surrender.  After 15 minutes of beating with a gimp, my whites were flat and beige and were not going to rise to the occasion. 

Now, most cookbooks will tell you to throw out the unsuccessful egg whites and start all over.  But I'm a bit (or so) stubborn, and I don't like to waste food.  So I decided to keep the flat, dirty whites as the primary meringue layer, and beat two more whites to add on top. The coverage wasn't great but it was enough to give it a bit of life.

Primary beige flat meringue

Secondary fluffy white meringue

Spreading secondary meringue layer

Not too bad...

Rustic Lemon Pie with One Beater

• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 scant cup turbinado sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 4 egg whites + 1 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Prepare pie crust in your customary way - you can use a non-hydrogenated premade crust or mix if you wish, or work from scratch.

For Lemon Filling
In a medium saucepan, whisk together flour, cornstarch and turbinado. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter and egg yolks. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into prepared pastry shell.

For Meringue
In a large bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add a tablespoon of sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.
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This post is dedicated to my Dad who liked my lemon meringue pie.

Photos by Trinity Nutrition