Baking lemon meringue pie can be a sweet experience

During a recent trip through southern Illinois my husband indulged my culinary curiosity. We stopped for dinner off the beaten path at a roadhouse bar and grill. Michael first sensed that we'd made a wrong choice, but then spied "homemade pies" on the menu board.

My baker's radar told me we were in for a rare treat. I kept mum about my pastry background while my husband quizzed the waitress about the pies. He was asking the right person; she also owns the place and wears the baker's hat.

The lemon meringue pie piqued my interest but failed to deliver. A good lemon meringue pie is hard to find these days and while the roadhouse version offered a tasty filling nestled in a homemade graham cracker crust, whipped cream, not the namesake meringue, crowned the top.

While this version took a detour from the standard recipe, I understood her choices. Graham cracker crusts are easier and faster to prepare than homemade pastry and Cool Whip offers a stable topping.

Sampling more pie at the roadhouse diner reminded me that Americans remain passionate about homemade pies, yet few bakers today make pie one of their signature desserts. I left the diner inspired to make authentic lemon meringue pie easier to create at home.

Unlike other pies, lemon meringue pie is not about the crust. Instead, the secret behind legendary lemon meringue pie lies in the contrast between the zesty filling and sweet meringue; crust becomes secondary.

Knowing that many bakers avoid making pie crust, I tested a few frozen ready-to- bake versions. With sturdy packaging and tender crust after baking Marie Callender's frozen deep dish pie shells won me over. I recommend baking at least 15 minutes until golden brown.

Those pesky crust issues resolved; I set my sites on perfecting a zesty filling. Most lemon pies I sampled tasted overly sweet and rubbery. Granted, you need sugar to balance the acidic lemon, but many recipes error on the side of too sweet.

So I started with a basic recipe and boosted the fresh lemon juice to 2/3 cup. That extra juice called for additional thickening so in lieu of stirring in more cornstarch, which tends to thicken like gelatin, I increased the egg yolks. This firmed the filling while gently softening the texture. Butter brings just the right amount of fat to smooth the filling.

The secret behind preserving that signature fresh lemon taste lies in when the juice is mixed into the filling. Heat degrades the acid in lemon juice. Adding the fresh juice after cornstarch has thickened the filling maintains that zesty flavor.

Topping our perfect filling calls for a billowy meringue. Many bakers experience "weeping" or moisture leaking from the meringue. This comes from under cooking the egg whites.

Here are my three steps to successful meringues. First, add cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites while they are beaten. Second, mix in a cornstarch thickened gel to prevent moisture loss. Lastly, anchor the meringue to pie crust edges and thoroughly bake until golden brown.

Look no further than today's recipe for a special fresh taste this spring. See, legendary desserts really can be as easy as pie.

Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie

1 deep-dish pie shell (9-inch) shell, baked and cooled (see note)

Meringue

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup water

5 large egg white

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup sugar

Filling

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1½ cups water

5 large egg yolks

¿ cup fresh lemon juice (3 large or 4 small lemons)

Zest from 3 large or 4 small lemons

2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 335 degrees.

For the meringue: In small saucepan, stir cornstarch and water until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thick. Set gel aside to cool.

Place egg whites in large clean glass or stainless steel bowl; add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until frothy and almost doubled in volume. Add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating 20 seconds after each addition. Beat meringue until stiff peaks form. Do not over beat. Add half the cooled gel to the meringue; beat 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining gel. Set meringue aside while cooking filling.

For the filling: In medium saucepan, stir sugar and cornstarch until combined. Add water and whisk until smooth. Cool over medium high heat until thickened. Add lemon juice and zest. Whisk or stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, using fork, beat egg yolks until smooth. Slowly stir ½ cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Pour egg yolks back into hot mixture in saucepan, continuously stirring until smooth. Return pan to medium heat and cook until filling bubbles and thickens. Add butter and stir gently until smooth.

Quickly pour into baked pie shell. Spoon meringue over hot filling. Gently smooth top and spread to seal and touch pie crust edge. If desired, use back of spoon to create swirls in meringue. Bake 18-22 minutes, until meringue is golden brown. Cool pie 4 to 5 hours at room temperature before serving. Store refrigerated. For best flavor, allow pie to warm 1 hour before serving.

Serves 10.

Baker's hint: As a substitute for homemade pie crust, I recommend Marie Callender's frozen deep dish pie shell.

Nutrition values per serving: 350 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 56 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein, 142 mg cholesterol, 188 mg sodium.