Lemon Meringue Pie
NY Times adaptation by Leslie Land of Alice Waters Chez Panisse original recipe (with my spooky decorating steps).
Ingredients
1 disk flaky pie crust (I used a pre-made frozen crust from Whole Foods)
Filling
2 Meyer lemons or other large lemons (¼ cup lemon juice)
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, cut in 3 pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 3 pieces
Meringue
3 egg whites, at room temperature (about ½ cup)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)
Prepare the shell: Roll the pastry into a 12-inch circle, ⅛-inch thick, and fit gently into the pan. Trim the edge a half-inch beyond the rim, fold under and crimp or pinch to make a decorative edge. Prick the bottom with a fork. Freeze the shell for 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: Grate the zest from the lemons into a small, noncorrodable bowl. Strain in the lemon juice, then press through as much lemon pulp as possible.
In a heavy, noncorrodable saucepan, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar until just mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and pulp, then the six tablespoons of butter.
Cook, stirring constantly, over low to medium heat, until the mixture comes together and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, allow to stand five minutes, then whisk briefly to smooth. (Strain through a sieve if you prefer a completely smooth filling.) Set aside.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the frozen shell with aluminum foil, weight with beans or pie weights and bake for 20 minutes, or until set and dry looking. Remove the weights and foil, turn the heat down to 350 and continue baking until shell is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool slightly, but leave the oven on.
Spread the prepared filling in the shell and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the filling is just set. Remove pie and turn oven to 375.
Using non-stick tinfoil, cut eyes, nose, and mouth into desired shapes.
Make the meringue. Beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating until rounded peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla.
Spread the meringue over the warm filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust to make a seal. Gently place the tinfoil eyes, nose, and mouth onto the flat surface of the pie, placing the non-stick down against the meringue, ensuring all pieces are completely flush. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned.
Once the pie is out the oven, allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Taking a sharp paring knife, carefully lift the edge of each piece of tinfoil and slowly peal off of the meringue (for the longer mouth, it helps to trim off pieces of the tinfoil you've pulled off as you go, rather than keeping the original long piece intact - you'll avoid tearing the teeth you've formed in the meringue's torching). Allow to cool completely before serving, from one to two hours. Refrigerate leftover pie.
