One of the great delights of having lived in New York was the chance to eat in a diner. Nothing could be more fun than being able to order anything you want - literally, since the menus were often 16-18 pages long. Breakfast at 11 p.m. or steak at 8 a.m. A little like Vegas, but better. At one time, diners had round, lighted, silo-like display cases for their fancy cakes and pies. Sometimes the trays even rotated.
I used to stand and watch the cake display when we waited for a table. I always had the intention of ordering coconut cake or lemon meringue pie with the mile-high topping. Somehow I never did. But every time I make lemon pie I think of those creations and am still in awe of their splendor.
My recipe for lemon pie doesn't produce anything half so dramatic but it is a tried and true recipe that I learned to make from my mother. It is not as rich as lemon curd, but tasty just the same.
BT's Lemon (Meringue) Pie
Ingredients:
For Lemon Filling
1/2 cup (64 grams) cornstarch
3/4 cup (96 grams) white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice
zest on one lemon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
2 cups (480 ml) boiling water
4 tablespoons cold water
For Meringue:
1/2 cup (64 grams) sugar
3 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
pinch of salt
For Pie Shell:
1 1/4 cups (150 grams) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound (125 grams) cold vegetable shortening or unsalted butter
4 tablespoons ice water
Directions:
For Pie Shell:
Add shortening and salt to flour
Work the fat with a fork into the flour until it resembles in shape and size, small pebbles
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour
Remove from refrigerator and add ice water
Using your hands work the pastry into a ball
Turn pastry onto floured surface and roll it out
Place pastry in pie pan
Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork
Bake pie shell for 15 minutes at 350 F.
Remove shell from oven and let cool before adding filling
For Lemon Filling :
In a saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and cold water. Mix thoroughly
Place pan on low heat and then add lemon zest and salt
Mix
Add boiling water
Stir constantly until it begins to thicken
Remove pan from heat and add butter and stir until butter has melted
Add egg yolks one at a time
Add lemon juice
Pour into blind baked pie shell
For Meringue: (Optional)
Beat egg white with cream of tartar
When eggs whites are fluffy but not dry, begin adding sugar
Keep beating until all the sugar is incorporated
Pour meringue on top of lemon filling
Bake in 350 F. (175 C.) oven for 15-20 minutes or until filling has set
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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