Heavenly Pie (2 star)

11
10/12/11

This is a different and a little more complex pie for us. We found it in the October/November 2011 edition of Cook's Country. However, it turned out to be pretty straight forward with a lot of wait time. In fact the recipe says "don't skimp on the resting times in oven or the refrigerator. If you do, the pie may be gooey..." We used a deep dish stone pie plate my sister Charlene gave us and it was just right. The pie had a good flavor but the crust was gooey and hard to cut. We decided to barge in on the Mill's and have them to a taste test. They are good friends and were very cooperative, besides it was good to visit them.

4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, grease 9 inch deep-dish pie plate.

Whip egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cream of tartar on medium low speed until foamy, ambout 1 minute. Increase speed to medium high and whip to soft billowy mounds, 1 to 3 minutes. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 3 to 6 minutes.

Spread meringue  into prepared pie plate and smooth into even layer. Run finger around inside edge of plate to create a small gap between edge of meringe and rim of plate. Bake meringue until golden brown and set, about 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringue dry completely in oven for about 3 hours longer. Place on wire rack and cool about 30 minutes.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened about 5 minutes. Strain curd (mixture) through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl. (We used my Mom's colander and it worked well.) Place plastic rap directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour.

Whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Fold half of whipped cream into cooled lemon curd until no white streaks remain. Spread lemon mixture into cooled meringue shell and smooth into even layer. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Nick

K'annie

Penny