Lemon Meringue Pie

Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Pie. My first in over 6 years. I adore the savory aspect of a good lemon meringue pie. Sweet and tart. A great grown-up dessert that also appeals to the younger crowd.

For my pie today, I made Alton Brown’s recipe (from Food Network). (recipe can be found here) I used my gluten-free pie crust recipe for the crust and let it bake at 415 for 10 minutes. Just until lightly browned. Be sure to poke your crust with a fork to it won’t balloon up and become misshapen.

For my pie, I used lemon juice as I didn’t have lemons on hand. The end result is still a deliciously tangy dessert.

Because the filling is made with corn-starch, it’s a naturally gluten-free recipe. No need for substitutions or changes. My pie plate is a deep-dish 10″ version so I increase the recipe by 50%. This was the perfect amount to just fill the pie and for a nice mounding of meringue on the top.

I’ve done my fair share of meringue over the years. Meringue Kisses are a Christmas favorite and I’ve learned a few tricks along the way.

Make sure your whites are room temp. If you’ve just removed them from the frig, you can speed the process along by putting them in the microwave for 6 seconds or so. If you get small bits of cooked egg white, that’s ok. It’ll still whip up firm and with stiff peaks.

The cream of tartar is essential. Every kitchen should have a tin of this. If you don’t have any, get some the next time you’re out grocery shopping. It’s not terribly expensive and will keep for quite some time. A definite pantry staple.

We enjoyed our pie this afternoon with some of my family. One of my sisters, my mom, grandma, and a niece. And of course, my husband. I sent a few slices home for the men that weren’t able to join us and that leaves the hubby and I with a slice each after dinner.

Life is good.