Happy Tuesday Everyone!I am not sure if I have mentioned this on here before but when it comes to baking, I can only make one thing and it only has three ingredients. So, when Easter dinner came around at the beginning of April, it was my job to bring the dessert. Instead of going to a store and buying something in plastic packaging and cheap ingredients, I remember that my friend, KP is an amazing baker and I would rather have a pie from her rather than anywhere else, any day! I asked her to also include the recipe she used for you all to enjoy yourself. This pie was looked amazing, it was delicious and there definitely wasn't any left over.
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Spring has definitely arrived here in Vancouver, and with summer just around the corner (sort of) I seem to have one thing, and one thing only on my mind - baking with lemons! Ahhh yes - it is that time of year when the sun comes out, the weather starts to get warmer and I start to experience intense cravings for the sweet and tangy delights of all things lemon infused! There is just something so fresh and crisp about lemon desserts that make for a perfect finish to those simple and light spring / summer meals, wouldn't you agree?
So when Jamie asked if I could bake a dessert for her to bring to her family Easter Dinner, we both came to the immediate conclusion that Lemon Meringue Pie would be the perfect Spring dessert for her to bring! I mean how could we go wrong with a buttery, flaky pastry, that is filled to the brim with a smooth, rich, tangy lemon curd, and topped off with a mound of sweet, fluffy toasted meringue....??? The answer to this question is simple... we couldn't go wrong - homemade Lemon Meringue Pie is just too good :D
Now, when I make a lemon meringue pie, I am all about that perfect balance of sweet & tart. I like my lemon filling be a perfect harmony between the tart flavour from the lemons, sweetness from the sugar and richness from the eggs & butter. In other words, I don't like my filling too sweet, too sour, or too rich - I always aim for the Goldi Locks of Lemon Meringue Pies... I like them to be "just right!" :p
So if there is one thing that I can tell you about this pie, it is that my recipe below definitely achieves that harmonious balance of flavours that I am referring to. The ratio of lemon juice & zest to the sugar, butter and egg yolk content makes for a beautifully smooth, rich, luscious lemon curd that you will want to eat straight from your mixing bowl - but try not to do this because once you taste a spoonful of this lemon filling.... the next thing you know you will be staring into an empty bowl. (Am I speaking as a girl with personal experience in this matter??.... perhaps :-P )
Now for those of you who have never had a homemade lemon meringue pie, let me be the first to tell you that you have been seriously missing out on the deliciousness that is homemade meringue. How can I describe meringue.... homemade meringue is basically like eating soft marshmallowy amazingness, and when you get that golden brown toast on the top... game over. Quite simply, homemade meringue is dangerous and secretly, I usually make a little (a lot) of extra meringue, so that I can have a little (a lot) leftover for me to eat straight from the bowl... it is that addicting. In short - homemade meringue is the absolute best, but I will let you in on a little secret... it is actually super simple to make!
This is a super decadent dessert and all things considered, it is actually very simple to make because there really is no special skills or equipment required. Even though Julia Child would have us believe that "every woman should own a blowtorch," for toasting such things as meringues, at this point in time my kitchen is unfortunately lacking in the blowtorch department. But never fear! We who are blowtorch-less can still toast our meringues! (One day I shall have my own blowtorch muaha! ... Although I'm not entirely sure that I should be trusted with such a flammable kitchen tool) So because of my lack of blow torch, I simply used my ovens broiler to toast the top of my meringue into that desired state of golden brown, toasted marshmallowy deliciousness and it worked perfectly!
So now that I have you dreaming of this perfectly balanced, Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie, I think it's only fair that I shut up and share the recipe don't you? :) So here it is! I hope you enjoy!
Click through to see the full recipe
