Today is my favorite silly holiday, Pi Day!! I mean, who doesn’t love to celebrate being a nerd and pie all at the same time? This girl can’t pass up the opportunity. Last year I celebrated with a savory vegan pot pie, this year it is one of my other favorite pies, lemon meringue! This is very much not vegan. I know you can make it vegan in all kinds of ways, but I haven’t really tried since I eat eggs these days. My husband did make me a vegan lemon meringue for my birthday a few years ago, but the meringue was a very funny texture. Now that I know about aquafaba that wouldn’t be a problem, so maybe one day I’ll experiment. For now, the real stuff! This is my mom’s recipe that was her mom’s.
This version of lemon meringue is tart, perfectly balanced with the sweet meringue, and all lovingly placed a the perfect homemade crust. If lemon meringue isn’t to your liking, or if you’re vegan, then please check out my mom’s apple pie, or this vegan french silk.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBL corn starch
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 3 eggs, separated
- 3 TBL butter or Earth Balance
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
- 6 TBL granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 9″ Prepared and pre-baked pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and the corn starch.
- Slowly whisk in the water and cook over medium heat until boiling stirring constantly.
- Continue to cook and stir while boiling for one more minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Whisk egg yolks briefly in a medium bowl.
- Slowly pour half hot sugar/water mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly.
- Pour the mixed egg/sugar/water mixture slowly back into the remainder of the sugar/water in the pan whisking constantly.
- Return to the burner and stir constantly over medium heat until boiling, then boil and cook one minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and pour in the pre-baked pie crust.
- To make the meringue put the egg whites and cream of tarter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until foamy.
- Continue beating and add 6 TBL of sugar one TBL at a time beating between additions.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until stiff and glossy.
- Pour meringue over lemon mixture in the pie crust and spread evenly to the edges sealing it to the crust.
- Bake in pre-heated 400 oven until golden brown and beautiful.
- Cool completely before serving.
- Store in the refrigerator if you happen to have leftovers.
Happy Food Ninja 
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