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Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe with Toasted Peaks

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A delightful lemon meringue pie featuring a crisp crust, tangy lemon filling, and fluffy toasted meringue peaks, perfect for any occasion and easy to make.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2–3 tbsp cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
  • 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 large egg whites (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Prepare the crust: In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until dough comes together. (Approx. 10 minutes)
  2. Chill the dough: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking.
  3. Blind bake the crust: Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch (3mm) thickness. Fit it into the tart pan, trimming edges. Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake another 10 minutes until golden. Let cool. (Total baking time about 25 minutes)
  4. Make the lemon filling: In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, eggs, lemon juice, zest, and milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles (about 7-9 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted. Pour filling into cooled crust. (Preparation and cooking about 15 minutes)
  5. Prepare the meringue: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vanilla extract last. (Approx. 10 minutes)
  6. Top the pie: Spoon meringue over lemon filling, spreading to seal edges to prevent shrinking. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and swirls for that signature look.
  7. Toast the meringue peaks: Using a kitchen torch, carefully brown the meringue peaks until golden and slightly crisp (about 1-2 minutes). If using the broiler, place pie on top rack and watch closely, rotating as needed until toasted evenly (about 1-3 minutes).
  8. Chill before serving: Let the pie cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours to set fully.

Notes

Separate eggs when cold to prevent yolk contamination in whites for better meringue volume. Seal meringue edges to crust to prevent shrinking. Stir lemon filling constantly to avoid lumps. Use kitchen torch carefully to avoid burning; broiler can be used as alternative but watch closely.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon meringue pie, toasted meringue, lemon dessert, easy lemon pie, homemade pie, citrus dessert, kitchen torch dessert

Find it online: https://blairrecipes.com/perfect-lemon-meringue-pie-recipe-with-toasted-peaks-easy-step-by-step-guide/