Foolproof Lemon Meringue Pie

Great recipe. Next time I will use a deep dish pie shell. I had lemon filling overflowing as I put the meringue on top. A handy tablespoon and a empty coffee cup saved the day (luckily I hadn't spread the meringue to the edge just yet).

Cyrunthie, I couldn't agree with your accolades more!! Tons of meringue and the filling was perfect as well!!!

This recipe makes a pretty good pie. However, for those not in the know, a few details should have been included in the instructions. First off, the egg yolks MUST be tempered before adding them to the hot mixture. To do this, take about a half cup of the hot mixture and slooooowly whisk into the yolks to raise their temperature without scrambling them. Then you can add them to the pot and continue cooking as directed. If you're still concerned about bits of cooked egg in your filling, simply use a sieve when pouring into the crust. Also, don't skimp on cooking time. The filling should take about 10 minutes after reaching temperature (a slow boil is a good cue), and stir constantly. You'll know it's ready when you dip a wooden spoon into it, remove the spoon and run your finger down the back. If a clean line remains, it's ready. If the liquid runs back to the center of the line, it needs a few more minutes. Lastly, meringue. Use only a metal or glass bowl (plastic retains grease no matter how much you wash it, and any fat is your enemy, including any yolk that may have accidentally gotten into the whites). Make sure the bowl is completely clean, and no yolk has gotten into the whites. Also, take into consideration the weather - humidity wreaks havoc on meringue because the sugar attracts the moisture in the air and your meringue won't get as stiff a peak as you're looking for. Finally, patience. Take your time adding the sugar a little at a time, and give it a few seconds to incorporate. Let the meringue get enough air whipped into it to achieve the desired peaks, but don't overbeat it either, or it will break back down and there's no saving it at that point. As soon as you see stiff peaks, you know it's ready.  

This is the first time I've ever made lemon meringue pie and it turned out pretty good! I had no problems getting a nice, firm filling. I made sure to add the boiling water very slowly and it worked out just fine. The overall flavour was tart, refreshing and not too sweet. The only problem was that I couldn't get the meringue to form stiff, glossy peaks. I'm pretty sure this was my own fault as I had a dribblet of yolk in the egg whites. I've now learned that if there's any yolk, start over! My boyfriend, who doesn't like lemon flavoured desserts, went back for seconds. So, it's a keeper in our book.

Finally a successful meringue recipe that makes mounds of it. The custard is perfect too. I will definitely keep this recipe. I would also suggest reading through the recipe before starting and slowly add the boiling water to the already heating custard.

At last no more weeping! This is the best recipe I've tried in many a long year. I mistakenly used all of the sugar and the cornflour in the filling, which set absolutely perfectly, if not a little sweet, the set was solid and strong. Did stand stirring all of the required minutes and if not a little more time. The meringue was outstanding, kept the height, and DID NOT WEEP! Not one little tear under the entire pastry. Used the more cornflour and sugar as required OUTSTANDING RECIPE, THANK YOU. I'm keeping this under wraps for the next local show cooking comp :).

The 1 1/2 cups of boiling water has to be a typo. The filling is way too liquid.

This recipe makes a great pie. My only real criticism is the way the recipe is written. Before you begin, read the entire recipe. The amounts of the sugar and the cornstarch are to be divided in specific amounts between the filling and the meringue. So take note of that when you start measuring ingredients. I increased the cornstarch in the filling by 2 tsp which helps it set up a little firmer. Creamy, tart filling and a lovely meringue.

This is by far the best lemon meringue pie recipe that I ever used! The lemon filling is beautifully tart and sweet. It is also smooth, creamy, but runny. The meringue is wonderful. Using the cornstarch and sugar is brilliant. The meringue keeps those high peaks after the pie is baked and cooled overnight. Everyone just loved it. John

followed the directions to the letter and the meringue turned out wonderfully, with absolutely no seeping, which was my big concern. The lemon pudding was very tasty but it did not set up as well as I would have liked. I'm about to make the recipe again for Thanksgiving dinner and I plan on increasing the cream of tarter in the pudding. Hopefully that takes care of the problem.