Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ⅓ cups corn starch
- 0.17 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 pie crusts
Meringue topping
- ½ cups sugar (for cornstarch water mix)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ⅓ cups water
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon sugar (to mix in with egg whites)
- ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Bake a home made or store bought crust in a 9 inch pan. Let cool. Preheat oven to 325. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, conrstarch and salt for the filling. Whisk thoroughly and then add in the water, lemon juice and zest for the filling. Then whisk in the egg yolks until no yellow streaks remain. Then cut the butter into small pieces and add. Turn on the stove to medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bring it to a simmer and then cook for 1 minute. The filling should be very thick. Pour into the pie crust and press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface. Immediately prepare the meringue topping.
When the meringue is ready, remove plastic wrap and spread meringue over the hot filling, anchoring it to the crust all the way around.
Bake 20 minutes and cool completely before serving.
Meringue topping
Start the meringue by adding the corn starch and sugar in a small saucepan. Mix well, then add the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, then boil for 15 seconds. It should be thick and translucent. Cover with a lid and set aside. In a glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then add the vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form. Then slowly beat in the sugar. Once it is all added, beat on high until the peaks are very still, but not glossy. Reduce speed to low and beat in cornstarch paste one tablespoon at a t time. After it’s all added, beat on high for 10 seconds.