Now, this might just be me but I feel like lemon meringue pie is a tiny piece of heaven that we are lucky enough have found. A summer dessert could not get better than this! If you don’t feel this way, this recipe will definatley change your mind.
Ok, to be completely honest with you, my first try at this recipe was sort of a flop. The filling was too runny, the crust was crumbling and breaking too easily, and the meringue became droopy immediately after it was taken out of the oven. Luckily, the taste was spectacular so there was no need to fix that :).
Because this was my great-grandmother’s recipe, I decided to give her call before trying the recipe a second time. Boy was that a good idea! Test two was absolutely perfect! The filling held its shape when the mini pie was cut into, the crust was buttery and flakey, and the meringue was as fluffy as a cloud. YAY thank you great-grandma!! Mission success!
Notes:
Pie crust: This may be boring, but I use the same recipe for every pie I make. The best part is that the dough is super easy to make for any level of baker! (The recipe is already on my blog so go check it out!) My biggest tip is to not OVERMIX!!! If you do, the crust will be a bit too crumbly and kinda dry.
Link: http://basilanddill.com/perfect-pie-crust/
Filling (aka golden goodness): The key to a great filling, is to cook it until it is a very thick liquid. When the filling is done, it should be super thick and barely pourable.
Meringue: Meringue is my favorite part of this dessert. I feel like it completes the mini pie with a tiny cloud on top. My first try at the meringue ended with a flat meringue :(. The trick is whipping the egg whites until they form mediumly strong peaks then adding the sugar. This results in a firmer meringue which is exactly what we want!
Lemon Meringue Mini Pies
Author:
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 2
tblsp . corn starch - 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1
tblsp . butter - 2 eggs
- zested rind of 1/2 lemon
Meringue:
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 6
tblsp . sugar
Directions:
- Combine corn starch and 3/4 cup sugar in a small pot. Slowly add hot water and stir constantly.
- Put the pot onto the stove and turn on low heat. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and thick.
- While still on the heat, add slightly beaten egg yolks(save the egg whites for the meringue), butter, lemon rind and juice, and a few grains of salt. Cook this for 2 minutes. Don’t stop stirring until you take the pot off the stove or the filling will get scorched.
- To make the meringue, beat the egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and corn starch until light/medium peaks form. Then gradually add the sugar.
- Fill the mini pie crusts (already baked!) a bit more than 3/4 full with the filling. Pipe meringue on top (the more the better!). Then sprinkle sugar onto the meringue and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the meringue and take it out before the 20 minutes is up if the meringue is getting too dark.
- Let the mini pies cool for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? If you did I would love to hear what you thought! Tag me on Instagram and leave a comment below letting me know!