Ok I’m no chef but this is my husband’s FAVORITE dessert that his mother made for him every year for his birthday and Thanksgiving so I had to learn how to make this. This lovely lemon meringue pie recipe has been written (by my mother-in-law) with dummed-down details to help rookies like me. It takes a bit of patience but it’s OH SO WORTH IT! Enjoy! 

PIE CRUST:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup shortening + 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut shortening into flour & salt mixture leaving pieces as large as marbles. Add enough cold water to make crust sticky (about 1/2 cup). Toss dough with fork as if tossing a salad. Do not mix too much. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll on well-floured board turning crust once or twice to other side during rolling (make sure your rolling pin has flour on it also). Circle should be larger than the pie pan. Gently place crust into pie pan. Prick bottom and side of pie shell thoroughly with fork. Flatter pastry evenly on rim of pie pan. Press firmly around edge with lines of fork. (Dip fork in flower from time to time to prevent sticking.) Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Watch closely, remove and cool completely.

FILLING:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3-5 T fresh lemon juice
• 3 T butter

Separate 3 egg yolks and slightly beat. Set aside. (Save egg whites in separate bowl to use later to make meringue.) Mix in saucepan: sugar & cornstarch. Stir in water gradually with wire whisk. Cook and stir slowly over medium high heat until it boils and thickens. Continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the eggs. Quickly stir eggs into rest of the hot mixture and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add 3-5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (depending on how tart you want it). Add butter and stir to melt. Pour into baked pie shell and top with meringue.

MERINGUE:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not UNDERbeat. Beat in vanilla. Heap meringue onto hot pie filling; spread over fillling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping. Bake about 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until a delicate brown. Cool away from draft.

You can do this!