Ingredients
The filling:
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup or 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut in chunks
- Juice of 4 large or 5 small lemons
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
The topping:
- 6 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
The garnish:
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced in rounds
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
367 calories; 17 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 51 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 68 milligrams cholesterol; 47 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Eight to 10 servings
Preparation
- Preheat over to 350 degrees.
- Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured board using a lightly floured rolling pin. It should be about 12 inches in diameter and one-quarter-inch thick.
- Line an ungreased 10-inch flat ring or pie plate with dough, pressing dough down firmly and crimping edges. Prick the bottom of the dough generously with a fork. Let rest 20 minutes.
- Line pie shell with aluminum foil and half fill with dried beans.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove beans and foil. Set crust aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before filling.
- To prepare filling, beat egg yolks with sugar until mixture is fairly thick and pale. Stir in chunks of butter; add lemon juice and rind.
- In a heavy saucepan, cook mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until thick and smooth – about eight minutes. Cool thoroughly.
- Preheat over to 450 degrees.
- Pour cooled filling into cooled pie crust.
- Beat egg whites with salt until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar and cream of tarter until mixture stands in stiff but shiny peaks.
- With a spatula, spread meringue over the filling and out to the edge of the crust, reserving about one-half cup for the basket-weave decoration, which is optional. When meringue is smoothly spread, place reserved portion in a pastry bag, and using a fine tube, with a one-eight-inch opening, pipe out one row of stripes, then criss-cross that with a second.
- Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about five minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. Decorate around edges with half slices of lemon, as shown.
- This may be served with a sauce made of one cup frozen raspberries boiled for five nimutes with one-third-cup sugar. Sauce should be served cold. Mr. Schorner sometimes places a thin layer of Genoese-type sponge or pound cake between the lemon filling and the meringue to absorb extra moisture.
1 hour 20 minutes
Dining and Cooking