Lemon Meringue Pie
By Andrea Charroin, Food Goddess

What is it about lemons that make me so happy? So many things: the scent, the shape, the leaves and blossoms. I thought I was alone in my lemon love, but poet Pablo Neruda wrote a lovely ode to the lemon. I included two of my favorite verses here.

“Released by the moonlight, from an aroma of exasperated love, steeped in fragrance, yellowness drifted from the lemon tree, and from its planetarium lemons descend to the earth . . .

So, when you hold the hemisphere of a cut lemon above your plate, you spill a universe of gold, a yellow goblet of miracles, a fragrant nipple of the earth’s breast, a ray of light that was made fruit, the minute fire of a planet.” — Pablo Neruda

I thought that this week everyone should take the time to stop and smell the lemons and make a lemon meringue pie. Yes, this a challenge of sorts. This will make us all feel a little better. Who can resist a smile with a mile-high mound of meringue and the sweet-tart love of lemon all wrapped into one?

This was my Dad’s favorite pie. Every Father’s Day and birthday there was a pie to be shared. I make this pie then to celebrate my Dad, whom I miss. My boys, who never knew their Grandpa, do know his favorite pie, and why I make it. Why, I feel better already.

Please let me know how yours turned out! I would love to see some pictures, too.  [print]

Use your favorite pie crust. After the crust has been rolled out and put into a pie pan, let it rest in fridge for 30 minutes. Then place a piece of foil on the pie’s surface, leaving plenty of extra foil to wrap up pie weights. I use rice or beans to weigh down my pie crust, or you can invest in some pie weights.

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For the lemon filling

In a heavy medium saucepan add the sugar, corn starch and lemon peel. I like to take my veggie peeler and take off big strips of the peel, doing my best to avoid getting any of the white bitter pith. My favorite trick with this lemon pie is to rub the lemon peel between my fingers in the sugar mixture. This releases all of the lemon’s essential oils, thus giving a more delightful flavor.

Gradually add water and lemon juice, whisking until the cornstarch dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Add the yolks . Whisk to blend. Cook over medium-high heat until filling thickens and boils, using a rubber spatula mix constantly for about 8 minutes. Pour into prepared COOLED crust.

For the mountain of meringue

Using electric mixer, beat whites and the cream of tartar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and shiny. Mound meringue atop lemon filling, spreading to make sure the filling is entirely covered to the crust.

Bake pie at 350 degrees until the meringue is golden, I check mine at 5 minutes, then again every 3 minutes or so until I get that nice golden glow of meringue. Some people have an issue of their meringue ‘weeping’ after a few hours. Sadly, this is not something that we have experienced. The pie is usually gone before the dessert dishes are cleared. If this is a problem that you encounter, or if you are making this pie for someone who should not (or does not), eat raw eggs then please follow the advice of Martha Stewart. She suggests that to prevent weeping, cook the meringue.

To do this, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heat-proof bowl and set over simmering water. Mix until the egg whites are warm, then remove from heat and add the cream of tartar. Beat into stiff peaks. Plop big beautiful mounds of meringue on the pie and follow the directions to complete.

I hope you enjoy this pie and create some fun family memories with food.

Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.

Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin