The Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter cut into ¼ inch
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, frozen
• 1/2 cup graham cracker/digestive biscuit crumbs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon zest from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup juice from 2-3 lemons
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites

Instructions

1. 1

   Pie Shell: Mix flour, sugar, salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Scatter butter pieces all over this, tossing to coat the butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1 second pulses. Add shortening, continue cutting in until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits about the size of small peas, about 4 more 1 second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

   
2. 2

   Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold water into flour mixture. Press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding upto 1 tablespoon more ice water if necessary. Shape dough into a ball with your hands, then flatten into a 4 inch wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling.

   
3. 3

   Generously sprinkle an 18 inch work surface with 2 tablespoons graham cracker/digestive biscuits crumbs. Remove dough from wrapping, place disk in center of crumbs. Scatter a few more crumbs over disk top. Roll dough from center to edges into a 9 inch disk, rotating dough a quarter turn after each stroke and sprinkling additional crumbs underneath and on top to coat dough heavily. Flip dough and continue to roll, but not rotate, to a 13 inch disk, just under 1/8 inch thick.

4. 4

   Fold dough in quarters, place dough point in center of a 9 inch ovenproof pie pan. Unfold dough to cover pan completely with excess dough draped over pan lip. Lift edge of dough with one hand and press dough into bottom of pan with other hand; repeat process around circumference of pan to ensure that dough fits properly in pan and is not stretched in any way. Trim dough to ½ inch beyond lip all around. Tuck overhanging dough back under itself so folded edge is flush with lip of pan; press to seal. Flute dough by pressing thumb and Index finger about ½ inch apart against outside edge, then use index finger or knuckle of other hand to poke a dent on inside edge through space created by other fingers. Repeat fluting around perimeter of pie shell.

   
5. 5

   Refrigerate dough until firm, about 30 minutes; prick shell at ½ inch intervals. Press a doubled 12 inch square of aluminum foil inside pie shell. Prick again to keep dough from ballooning during baking. Freeze pie shell while oven is pre-heating.

6. 6

   Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 375F. Bake shell, checking occasionally to make sure it is not ballooning, pricking it if necessary, until shell is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until shell is crisp and brown, about 10 minutes

   
7. 7

   Lemon Filling: Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a large non reactive saucepan. Add egg yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture begins to thicken 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in zest, then lemon juice and finally butter. Bring mixture to a good simmer, whisking constantly; simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling to keep hot and to prevent a skin from forming.

8. 8

   Mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally at beginning and more frequently as mixture thickens. When mixture starts to simmer and turn translucent, remove from heat.

   
9. 9

   Preheat oven to 325F. Mix cream of tartar and sugar together. Beat egg whites with vanilla until frothy. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sugar is incorporated and whites form soft peaks. Drop in warm cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks. Return saucepan of filling to very low heat during last minute or so of beating meringue to ensure that filling is hot.

   
10. 10

    Immediately pour filling into pie shell. Promptly distribute meringue evenly around edge, then center of pie, with a rubber spatula to keep it from sinking into filling and making sure it attaches to pie shell to prevent shrinking. Use back of a spoon to create peaks all over meringue. Bake until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.