Made From Scratch Lemon Meringue Pie

Last weekend I got to spend Mother’s Day in Kentucky with my mom. I made her Mother’s Day meal, and when planning the menu, I knew immediately what dessert would be – her favorite – Lemon-y. Tart. Mouth watering. Creamy. Fluffy. Sweet.What is it? Lemon Meringue Pie!

I hadn’t made one in a couple of years, so I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. I have had times that the meringue flopped or crept away from the crust, or wept, leaving little dewy droplets all over, so I could only hope and pray all would go well.

The recipe is from this very old cookbook of my mom’s, printed in the 60’s. I grew up flipping through the pages of this cookbook, ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over the tempting desserts pictured on its pages, this pie being one of them. Now it was time to see if I could make it happen!

Cream pies like this just take patience.

1. Make the crust
2. Bake the crust
3. Make the filling
4. Let it cool
5. Make the meringue
6. Top the pie with the meringue
7. Bake the meringue until lightly browned

It’s worth every bit of effort to make this delicious pie at home! Just find a day that isn’t rainy and humid, or you might have trouble with the meringue. You’ll be so glad you took the time and effort to make this from scratch. It simply can’t be beat! The meringue in this recipe has a little twist! See if you can catch it.

How about a slice?

A few tips:

My homemade crust is made from – 2 C flour, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 C Crisco, ice water.
Combine the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut Crisco into flour. Add ice water a little at a time until it holds together without crumbling or being too wet. Makes 2 crusts.

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, if possible. It makes it extra fresh and tart.

Be sure to cool the pie to room temperature, then refrigerate it a few hours before you attempt to cut it. The filling needs that time to set up.

Did you catch the twist in the recipe for the meringue?

I hope you’ll make someone’s day (and your own!) and bake a lemon pie!