Lemon Pie

I use Pillsbury ready made crust - red box

Ingredients

  • 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled (using a fork, poke unbaked crust generously before baking)
  • 1 c. white sugar
  • 6 Tbls. cornstarch
  • 1/8 t. salt
  • 2 c. water
  • 3 beaten egg yolks
  • 3 Tbls. butter
  • 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (1 lemon squeezed)
  • 2 t. lemon rind
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring
  • Cool Whip or whipped cream if not using meringue

Meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • 6 Tbls. white sugar
  • 1/4 t. cream of tarter
  • 1/2 t. vanilla

Instructions

If using a ready-made crust, unroll pie crust and roll out a bit to fit your pie plate. Place in pie plate and poke holes all over the bottom with a fork. Bake according to package directions and cool.

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan and pour in water. Cook over low heat until mixture thickens and becomes clear. Stir constantly.

Pour a little of the mixture into the egg yolks, blend quickly and pour back into the mixture in the saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and rind.

Cool and pour into prepared pie shell.

Cover with meringue (below) if desired. Or, you can top with light Cool Whip instead after filling has cooled.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not over beat. Beat in vanilla.

Spoon onto hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until meringue is delicate brown. Cool away from draft.

Immediately refrigerate any remaining pie.