Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Pie
I love lemon meringue pie in the spring! I make it for my family every year for Easter. As they color eggs the day before Easter, I make this pie to enjoy after our traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu Easter dinner.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (squeezed from 3-4 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Perfect Meringue
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare a GF pie crust.
- Poke holes in the crust with a fork and bake at 325°F for 20 minutes (or until lightly browned), do not overbake.
Curd
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt (if using unsalted butter) together in a large saucepan.
- Add egg yolks.
- Immediately but gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups water.
- Cook over medium heat; regularly whisk until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in zest, juice, and butter.
- Keep warm until meringue is made.
Meringue
- Mix cornstarch and water in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer, whisking until thickened.
- Remove from heat when translucent.
- In a bowl, mix cream of tartar and sugar together; set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites with whip attachment until frothy.
- Add vanilla.
- Beat the sugar mixture into egg white mixture a little.
- While continuing to beat, drop cornstarch mixture into the whipped meringue mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Assemble pie
- Pour warm curd into warm pie crust.
- Distribute meringue evenly over the top with a spatula, making sure the meringue attaches to the crust.
- Create peaks in the meringue by touching the back of a spoon to the meringue and quickly lifting away; do this over the entire top of the pie.
- Bake in preheated oven at 325°F until golden brown (about 20 minutes).
- Cool before serving.