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jinianI have achieved pie, without much time to spare. Still no great solution for the problem of crusts that puff and crawl when baked empty; this time the fluted edges were bent outward over the edge of the pie plate only to fall off under their own weight in the first minutes of cooking. Much yelling.
Lemon meringue pie as of 3/14/06
Get a:
Prebaked pie shell (1 c flour, 1/2 c fat, 1/4-1/2 c water, 450 F for 10-15 minutes)
Preheat over to 325 F. I often don't bother preheating, but meringue is a good cause.
Mix:
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
and add to:
1 c water
in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, whisking after it starts to go translucent, until fully translucent. Add, whisking each in completely before adding the next:
6 egg yolks, 2 at a time
some lemon zest
1 c lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
That's the filling. I put it on the burner that the stove vent keeps warm; it should stay hot and not form a skin. (Skin can be whisked in, it's not a disaster, though it may mean the filling is too cool. Just reheat it on low.)
During more or less the same time, thank your mother again for the stand mixer. It beats:
6 egg whites
with a mixture of:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
up to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cornstarch
as stiff as it can get them.
The recipes I crib from have a zillion fiddly ways to make perfect peaky meringue that doesn't weep, including such ludicrous additions as fine cake crumbs between the flling and meringue (Shirley Corriher in the very good Cookwise). My way is roughly five times easier and works fine, sacrificing only a tiny bit of stiffness. Your climate may vary. It's damp here, so putting the dry cornstarch in works well.
Put the hot filling into the crust (fine if crust is also hot), then put meringue around the edge, sticking it to the crust. Work meringue into the middle after it's at the edges already; this is meant to keep it from displacing the filling too much in the middle. Bake at 325 F until lightly browned, which in my oven is about 10 minutes.
It has to cool for a while if you want to be able to serve it politely. If touching the bottom center of the pie plate does not cause you pain, your pie is probably not too runny.
Lemon meringue pie as of 3/14/06
Get a:
Prebaked pie shell (1 c flour, 1/2 c fat, 1/4-1/2 c water, 450 F for 10-15 minutes)
Preheat over to 325 F. I often don't bother preheating, but meringue is a good cause.
Mix:
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
and add to:
1 c water
in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, whisking after it starts to go translucent, until fully translucent. Add, whisking each in completely before adding the next:
6 egg yolks, 2 at a time
some lemon zest
1 c lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
That's the filling. I put it on the burner that the stove vent keeps warm; it should stay hot and not form a skin. (Skin can be whisked in, it's not a disaster, though it may mean the filling is too cool. Just reheat it on low.)
During more or less the same time, thank your mother again for the stand mixer. It beats:
6 egg whites
with a mixture of:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
up to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cornstarch
as stiff as it can get them.
The recipes I crib from have a zillion fiddly ways to make perfect peaky meringue that doesn't weep, including such ludicrous additions as fine cake crumbs between the flling and meringue (Shirley Corriher in the very good Cookwise). My way is roughly five times easier and works fine, sacrificing only a tiny bit of stiffness. Your climate may vary. It's damp here, so putting the dry cornstarch in works well.
Put the hot filling into the crust (fine if crust is also hot), then put meringue around the edge, sticking it to the crust. Work meringue into the middle after it's at the edges already; this is meant to keep it from displacing the filling too much in the middle. Bake at 325 F until lightly browned, which in my oven is about 10 minutes.
It has to cool for a while if you want to be able to serve it politely. If touching the bottom center of the pie plate does not cause you pain, your pie is probably not too runny.
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no subject
Date: 2006-03-15 01:17 pm (UTC)I've given up on baking empty shells for now. I expect I'll try to find a pie chain before trying again.
And can I just say MMMMMMM!!!!!! That looks delicious.
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Date: 2006-03-15 06:36 pm (UTC)Come to think of it, the sister-out-law has a bag of beans, which would prevent the sticking and shedding problems. I'd just need a bag the right shape.
It is a very lemony pie, which is certainly delicious in my book. :) Some people like it less sour. Any time you and this pie are in the same place, you're certainly welcome to some.