What’s not to love about zesty lemony custard topped with a fluffy meringue? It was an innovative female pastry chef and teacher in early 19^th-century Philadelphia who first paired lemon custard and meringue and created this all-American dessert classic.

STEP ONE – Preparations

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Get out a food processor and a 9-inch glass pie pan.
3. Get out a medium saucepan and a small bowl.
4. Get out a stand mixer.
5. Set up a cooling rack.

STEP TWO – Make the Crust

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Cut the butter into small pieces and pulse in the food processor with the flour and salt until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until the ingredients form a ball of dough.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll to a diameter a little larger than the 9-inch glass pie pan.
4. Press the dough into the pan and crimp the overhang around the edges.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned.
6. Cool the crust on the cooling rack while you make the filling.
7. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.

STEP THREE – Make the Filling

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks

Instructions:

1. In the small saucepan, add the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt over medium-high heat and whisk to combine.
2. Stir in the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring continually.
3. Stir in the butter and let melt.
4. In the small bowl, whisk to combine the yolks and ½ cup of the hot mixture.
5. Add to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. Cook until thickened, then pour the filling into the crust.

STEP FOUR – Make the Meringue

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar

Instructions:

1. In the stand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy.
2. Add the sugar and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

STEP FIVE – Bake the Pie

1. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the meringue across the top of the pie.
2. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is golden at the tips.
3. Cool the pie on the cooling rack for 2 hours.
4. Once cooled, cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 slice (⅛ of pie)

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat