Lemon Meringue Pie

Oh, how I love lemon.

And I love pie.

AND I love meringue.

So what could be better than lemon meringue pie?

I KNOW!  Nothing could be.  I totally agree.

Let's make pie!

We need to bake a pie crust first.  Fit the pie crust in a 9" pie dish.  Crimp the edges and prick the bottom with a fork.

Now bake it in a super-hot oven for eight or ten minutes.  I did eight minutes and this is what I got.  I think I'll bake it for 10 minutes next time.

Let the crust come to room temperature while you make the filling.

As for the filling, so easy it's...well, it should be illegal for something this easy to be this good.

Lick the spatula because you don't care about eating raw egg yolks.  And it's the best pie filling this side of the Mississippi.  (That would be River, for anyone unfamiliar with that phrase.)

And they don't make pie west of the Mississippi (River), so I think that about covers it.

Did you know that, by the way?  That pie is not a thing in the Wild Wild West?  True.  Because I used to live over on that side of the river for a brief period in my life.  And every time I mentioned pie, I got blank stares.  And then I made Derby Pie for some friends, and they're my friends for life.  4-Eveh, y'all.  All because of pie.

Just remember that.

Where were we?  Oh, yes.  Meringue.  Also undiscovered west of the Miss.  Equally as delicious as the filling itself.

Beat it into peaks, and spread it on the pie.

Make your pie look like a large snow-capped mountain.

It's a thing of beauty.  Bake it for 10 minutes or so, until the meringue is perfectly golden.

And that would be a cryin' shame to burn the best lemon meringue pie in the world.  Or at least on this side of the Mississippi.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 pie crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice
6 egg yolks (reserve 4 of the whites for meringue topping)
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Fit the pie crust into the pie plate and crimp the edges.  Prick bottom and sides of crust with a fork.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Remove and cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks.  Pour into the pie crust.  Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meringue.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the four egg whites on medium-high until frothy.  Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to high.  When the whites start to turn white, sprinkle in the sugar slowly.  Add the vanilla and continue beating the whites until stiff peaks - the meringue will be shiny and thick and stand up in a peak on the beater.

Spread the meringue on top of the pie, using your spatula to create peaks on the meringue.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the meringue is set and begins to turn golden.

Cool to room temperature before serving.