I rarely eat lemon meringue pie from stores or restaurants.. I’ve been too spoiled by the homemade version. One key part is that it just doesn’t seem right without a graham cracker crumb crust, and most places use a normal pastry crust. It’s also best when the filling is still warm and gooey, even if the presentation is not so pretty. Not to say, of course, that I would refuse a piece of this pie after it cools!
(pictured here at the stage before adding the meringue)

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter/margarine

Filling:

• 1½ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• dash salt
• 1½ cups hot water

• 3 slightly beaten egg yolks (egg whites in meringue)
• 2 tbsp butter/margarine
• ½ tsp grated lemon rind
• ⅓ cup lemon juice

(above is about one lemon’s worth of rind and juice)

Meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 6 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar with melted butter. Mix. Press into 9″ pie plate.

Filling: In a saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over moderately high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer (8 minutes for creamier filling). Remove from heat.

Stir a moderate amount of hot mixture into eggs yolks, then return to hot mixture. Bring to boiling and cook 2 minutes (4 minutes for creamier filling), stirring constantly. Add butter and lemon rind. Slowly add lemon juice, mixing well. Pour into crust.

Meringue: Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff and glossy peaks form and all sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over top of pie and bake at 350°F for 12-15min. Cool to let filling set before eating.

Note: For Lime Meringue Pie, use 1 1/2 tsp grated lime rind, 1/4 cup lime juice and 2 drops green food colouring.

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