Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie

Prep Time:15 Mins | Total Time:35 Mins | Makes:8

This classic pie recipe is bursting with fresh lemon taste and a sweet, creamy realmeringue topping.

Crust

1/2 pkg (425 g) Pillsbury* Refrigerated Pie Crusts

Filling

3 egg yolks

11/2 cups (375 mL) sugar

6 1/3 tbsp (95 mL) cornstarch

11/2 cups (375 mL) water

3 tbsp (45 mL) butter or margarine

2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon peel

1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice

2 drops yellow food colour, if desired

Meringue

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar

6 tbsp (90 mL) sugar

1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla

Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare pie crust according to package directions for One Crust Pie using 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate. Bake pie crust as directed on package for One Crust Baked Pie Shell. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg yolks with fork. In 2-qt (2 L) saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Immediately stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks; stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 2 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and food colour. Pour into pie crust.
In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.
Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until meringue is light brown. Cool away from draft 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate cooled pie until serving. Store in refrigerator.

Refrigerated Pie Crusts

Time Saver: Substitute filling ingredients with packaged lemon pie filling.Success: For the best meringue, be sure not to get any egg yolks into the egg whites while separating the eggs, because even a speck of yolk will prevent the whites from beating properly.

1 Serving: Calories 430; ( Calories from Fat 150 ); Total Fat 16g ( Saturated Fat 6g , Trans Fat 2g ) ; Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 210mg; Total Carbohydrate 66g ( Dietary Fiber 0g , Sugars 47g ); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value* : Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 0%; Iron 6%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.