Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie

Finally I have found the perfect recipe for lemon meringue pie! I made this tonight for my dad and it came out great. The only thing that I wasn't clear on was the amount of lemon juice to use. 2 lemons can mean different things to different people. I used 1/2 cup of lemon juice(about 3 lemons) and 1 tablespoon of zest. It was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Also, it doesn't mention how to cool it. I left it at room temperature for about an hour and then put it in the refrigerator for about 5 hours. One tip I have is after the lemon filling starts to boil, only boil it for 1 minute so the cornstarch doesn't lose its thickening power. Then, after you add the tempered eggs back into the hot mixture, boil one more minute and it will be a perfect thickness. Also, when you fill the pie crust with the lemon filling, the crust should still be warm and when you top the pie with the meringue, the filling should still be pretty warm. This will help seal the meringue after it cools so it doesn't separate from the crust. I will definitely keep this recipe and I have a feeling I will be making this again very soon.

Everyone who is having problems with water in your pie **you cannot cover a lemon meringue pie with plastic wrap to store it, condensation forms and will leave you with a puddle in your pie** to store very loosely cover it with tented aluminum foil leaving a little opening for moisture to escape

If you are even thinking about making this pie, READ THIS REVIEW!! This pie is fantastic! Wonderful lemon flavor, as it's just the right balance of sweet and tart. However, I did make a few minor adjustments. First of all, while I'm sure experienced bakers picked up on this, this recipe does not specify that the crust must be pre-baked before adding the filling, otherwise you will end up with either a raw crust or a burnt meringue. I pre-baked mine for 9 minutes. 2)DO NOT try to sub bottled lemon juice for the real thing. It definitely changes the taste. I used the juice of 3 lemons, which came to 1/2 cup, and the zest of 1. 3)I used milk instead of water and it gave the filling a delicious creamy texture. 4)I always double the recipe to get a nice, thick layer of lemon custard, if you make the recipe as shown, your custard layer will be only about half an inch thick.

This is a good, but fairly standard lemon meringue pie with a rich, tart filling, and fluffy meringue. I prefer lemon meringue pie recipes like this one that call for water, rather than recipes using milk. I used three small lemons, which yielded about 1/2 c. of lemon juice and 1 T. zest. I would have preferred a thicker pie, however, so were I to make this again I would increase the recipe overall by half. Tip: a weepy meringue is sometimes a problem, but can generally be avoided by not overcooking the meringue.

Well considering my Mum almost fell off her chair when she started on her 1st piece of pie (she ended up having 3 and she usually doesn't eat desserts) - I took it as good indication that I had found a SENSATIONAL American recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. It's more successful than the Australian one I've always used and my whole family raved and wanted more. I will DEFINATLY make this one again. Although I did use milk instead of water for a beautiful creamy consistency and I added 2 more egg whites for lots of meringue - yummy!!!!! Kat Thomas, Melbourne Australia

Wow! I was surprised at how easy it is to make a lemon meringue pie!! I worked up some serious arm cramp from beating the filling. This was delicious and will certainly be making this again. To stop the weeping of the meringue, make the meringue first, then make the filling and make sure the filling is piping hot when you put on the meringue. also cook it maybe 12-15 instead of 10 minutes.

What a great recipe! I've had many lemon fillings that never quite got the acid/sugar balance right, but this was bang on. I used 2 pretty large lemons and was quite pleased with the resulting flavour. Next time I'm going to mix up the citrus a little and add some lime and orange juice/zest. I've read some of the other reviews about the excess liquid they had to drain off once the pie cooled...a good trick is to add a tsp or so of cream of tartar to the egg whites.

For the past couple of months I've been trying to make the perfect lemon meringue pie. I've tried a different recipe a couple times that just turned out soupy. Then AR came to the rescue and gave me this recipe. I followed the advice of others and used milk instead of water. The first three trys with that came out more like a pudding pie than a custard. The fourth pie I decided to use the water instead and it came out perfect!! I'm just going to go with the original recipe from now on. I do add another T of cornstarch, use 1 T lemon zest, and 1/2 c lemon juice. Make sure the first time it boils you let it boil for at least 1 or 2 minutes. The second time you bring it to a boil you'll know its thick enough when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Make sure your pie filling is still hot when you top it with the meringue. Cool to room temp at least 1 hr, then refrigerate at least 3 hrs. I hope this helps anyone who had as much trouble as I did making the perfect lemon meringue pie. :)

After reading the reviews, here is are the cliff notes. 1. Let the eggs sit out for a little bit. Easier to make the meringue when the eggs aren't cold 2. Most important here: make the meringue first and/set aside. To get the meringue to set on the filling you should fold the meringue onto the hot filing right away. That way it doesn't get soggy or runny. 3. Use 2% milk instead of water 4. Use the juice from 3 large lemons (1/2) cup and the rind from only one 5. Use (6) egg whites for a fuller meringue on top of the filling. I didn't do anything new here. just read everyone's helpful reviews. I just made it for Christmas dessert and my Dad and BIL said it was a perfect blend and not too tart. My Dad said it was the best he ever had and he is very picky palate.

This is the a great recipe. It turns out perfect every time I make it. My husband is a big lemon pie fan. Although he prefers the icebox(he from the south)version, he loves this pie and never tires of it. I buy premade pie crust from the dairy section and never seem to have time to squeeze lemons, but a 1/2 cup of plain ole lemon juice does the trick. Reminds me of my mothers pie. And so easy. THANKS!

Absolutely Fabulous.I made this for my anniversary and it was my first attempt at making such a decadent desert. Other reviewers complained about several aspects of this recipe.My fix, increase servings to 12 and use a 9"deep-dish pie crust(you will have more pie filling).Use milk instead of water(if you can).Zest 3 lemons and use 1/2 c. lemon juice(will not be too tart).Prepare all of your ingredients first,as you need to work fast.Lower the temp.when cooking the filling (mine wanted to burn).It took me forever to make the meringue so start in advance(my recommendation would be to use your kitchenaid mixer to save you time) Good luck and enjoy.

Finally, a great lemon meringue pie recipe! I made three of these at Easter and received RAVE reviews on all of them! This was an incredibly easy recipe and, as an experienced baker, I was wowed! I would make a few suggestions: Increase fresh lemon juice to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons (you can use the bottled lemon juice if you don't feel like squeezing another lemon). I prefer a bit more tart pie filling than the recipe suggests, but this is subject to personal preference. Ensure you "dock" your pie crust prior to baking, which will ensure your crust does not puff up during baking (max 15 minutes at 350 degrees). Once cooled, you can add your filling and spread on the meringue. A note about the meringue: this is is the EASIEST meringue you will ever make, even on the worst weather days (rain, humidity)! Ensure you make it FIRST before preparing your filling, because you will need to place it on the hot filling! Spread your meringue all the way to the edges--I mean cover the crust--otherwise, you will get seeping filling. Absolutely DO NOT LET YOUR PIE FILLING COOL before you put the meringue on...the baking time is just 10 minutes in the oven, and you want the meringue to "seal" with the hot filling!

I have never made Lemon Meringue Pie before and this turned out SO good and SO easy! I used my deep dish pie pan and Pillsbury pie crust! When I was cooking I wasn't sure when the lemon filling was "thick enough" once it started boiling the thickness didn't seem to change so after a few minutes I went ahead and poured it in the baked pie crust. I have made lots of meringues in the past and this meringue was very sweet which is what I prefer so if you like your meringue less sweet I'd use less sugar. I also used a bit of cream of tarter for the meringue. I was disappointed at first because I didn't think it had set and thought I would have to throw it out but once it cooled completely the whole way through the Lemon gel was a perfect consistency! This is my husbands favorite kind of pie and he LOVED it! He said it was the best lemon meringue he has ever had. I don't know how well known Tippin's is but they have the best pies EVER and I can honestly say this lemon meringue beats Tippins Lemon Meringue HANDS DOWN! My husband agreed! I plan on making this again for sure!!!

I use my microwave in any instance where you might use a doubleboiler or have to stir on the stove. So simple. Mix first 6 ingredients in 4 cup microwave bowl - cook on high until boils, add butter, and after mix hot mixture with egg yolks, return to microwave and bring to a boil again. No stirring constantly and no mess. The microwave is great for this type of cooking.

OK, this was the second time I made this pie but still no luck. I purposely put in a bit less water to make the lemon custard stiffer, and beat the egg whites long enough to let peaks formed. I even took Kristi's advice to warm the crust and add the meringue to a warm filling. However, when I cut the pie, the crust was soggy and there's water underneath it. The lemon custard tasted weird so in the end I have to toss the whole pie out (and so was the first time). I'm not a bad cook but for some reason, I cannot figure this out!

I made this for my dad for Father's Day as Lemon Meringue is his favorite pie. It was my first meringue, so I had some issues and ended up tossing the first pie I made in the garbage. Even though I knew better, I ended up making the filling first and then the meringue: Big mistake! Make the meringue first, set it aside, and then make the filling. While the filling is still screaming hot, pour it in your pie crust and then quickly spread the meringue on top of it and pop it in the oven. If you don't do this you'll end up with a nasty layer of liquid between your filling and meringue that will ruin the pie when you cut into it! The second pie I ended up making was amazing! The filling is perfect as is, except I used milk instead of water for a more custard-like consistency like others have suggested. Overall, a very great recipe and I will be using it again!

This recipe is excellent, as-is. But I have made this many times now, and recommend replacing the water with milk for a more creamy, richer filling flavor. Just be sure to keep at or just under boiling for a good 15 minutes to set the filling. I have also experimented with more lemon zest and juice with good results. The other thing I recomend is to leave the meringue as is for this pie. The light, fluffy, air-filled meringue made with just egg whites and sugar adds the complimentary texture that you lose using one of the tartar or starch based meringues. Texture is very important with this pie.

UPDATE: i am not trying to be smart here, however, i am hoping that people know the difference between the zest and the rind / peel! i have read a lot of reviews on this recipe where people are saying the filling was bitter due to the called for zest or that there was TOO much zest! the zest is very outer, thin layer of the peel (mins the pith - the white bitter stuff). if you're lucky or have a very large lemon, you get a tiny amount of usuable zest. i read one review where someone said they had a cup of zest!! which she in turn added to her filling!! this is clearly the rind and or peel, not the zest. REVIEW: very well done. it's tart, yet sweet! it's perfect. from reading reviews on here, definitely wait until the mixture boils...it will thicken up. also chilling in the fridge helps with firming up the filling. i used meringue II for the meringue part - wonderful recipe.

Very good. The lemon curd was very smooth and sweet & sour in the right proportions. I read some of the other reviews about the filling not congealing and got a little worried. So, I watched the all recipe lemon meringue video. Wonderful tips. If you overboil the filling, the starch will break down and the whole thing gets soupy. I took mine off the heat as soon as the first bubbles started. As for the meringue, the tip was that the beading on top is a result of the egg whites having too much sugar added. This one is tough as not all eggs are the same size. My large eggs seemed small so I reduced the sugar by 1 TB. Everything turned out perfect. I will change only one thing in the future. I will up the scaling to 10 servings. I like my pies a little fuller and taller than this recipe makes. Either that, or I will use an 8" pie pan instead of 9".

I have made lemon meringue a lot and this is the easiest and most delicious recipe I've found. I love this with a graham cracker crust, which is very easy to make. A few tips I've learned over the years: 1. Be sure to mix the cornstarch with the other dry ingredients thoroughly before heating and adding water or it will clump. 2. Don't make the meringue peaks too high on the pie or they will scorch before the rest is cooked enough. 3. Use meyer lemons if they are available. Always use fresh lemons since this is a LEMON pie. Concentrate just won't cut it.

ohh mann is this pie good..and the filling i was very tempted to eat it all before it even went into the crust...the meringue came out just perfect..make sure there is no egg yolk nor any type of grase the author is definetly not kidding about this part.. :)..HINT clean your bowl with the leftover lemon skins the juice will kill any grease.. hope it helps..also cool the pie on a table or something dont shove it in the fridge right away .. THANX i will be making this pie again

When I made this recipe for the first time it was a very runny lemon filling which made it difficult to cut and hard to eat so I always put equal portions of flour and cornstarch to make the filling easier to set and slice when it is cooled. I have also had rave reviews from my friends who have enjoued the pie immensely when I have shared it with them. This is now one of my favorite pies to make.

This was a good pie, not the greatest lemon meringue pie I've ever tasted, but no complaints. I used the zest of just one lemon since I don't like much zest in baked good, and I added vanilla to the meringue. I used the recipe for Grandma's Secret Pie Crust (halved) from this site, I use it for most pies I make and would highly recommend it. I took the suggestion of another reviewer to bake the pie for 12-15 minutes instead of 10 and I think the meringue overbaked a little, so I would suggest you start with 10 minutes and then check it. If you're new to meringue like me I also suggest you check out AllRecipe's video on making a perfect lemon meringue pie. I made the mistake of watching it after I'd made the pie and it would have been helpful as I wasn't sure exactly when the meringue was done whipping and I think I overdid it.

I made two of these pies for Christmas. The filling firmed up upon being refridgerated, the meringue was easy and delicious. I did not tweak the recipe at all. The origional recipie made a wonderful pie. The instructions are a bit hazy as to let the filling cool or place the meringue on the hot filling. Some clarification in that area would send this recipe to more than 5 stars

This is great. Make sure to add the filling to a warm crust and add the meringue to a warm filling. Then there will be no separation. Do not bake it too long or "beads" will form on the meringue. My husband's favorite.

finally a lemon pie I can make and the storage is so important I had no idea how to cool this pie 1 hour on counter 3 to 6 hours in frig not covered then cover with foil! thanks

I have never made a lemon meringue pie before so I was little nervous about it but, this pie is fool proof and absolutely DELICIOUS! I followed the recipe as is. Thank you for a great recipe.

I have never made a lemon pie before and this turned into a disaster. I can't blame the recipe, since obviously it is good. I was told I cooked it too long. How do you know when it is done? I waited until it was pudding thick. Is that too thick?

This recipe turned out well after a little adjusting. I've baked many things, but this was my first attempt at lemon meringue pie, and I must say it came out great. A few things I adjusted: I used 2% milk instead of water for a creamier result. I used the juice from two lemons straight out of my backyard. (Measured approx 1 cup. I am very pleased with the taste, but they were very tart). I'm not fond of the texture of the rinds, so I added a capful of vanilla extract to help balance the bitterness of the lemons. To get a thicker texture I started to slow my stirring after adding the egg yolk mixture, and it helped quite a bit. I also added 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to firm/flavor the meringue mixture. I followed CARTHECOOK's (9/23/05 review) method for cooling, and the pie turned out very well. *One side note- I beat everything by hand with a whisk, and some of these directions are written for an electric mixer. I would recommend doing the egg white mixture first when using a whisk, as you will need the lemon mixture to be hot enough to seal the meringue to the crust. Otherwise the meringue can come out runny underneath. I also will probably adjust the recipe to add more servings next time. My lemon filling came about 1/2 way up the crust when using a 9" deep dish pie crust, and the meringue sat about a 1/2 inch at its tallest in the center of the pie.

Escellent pie. Everyone loved it. I added 1/2tsp vanilla and 1/2tsp cream of tartar to the meringue. I have never made a meringue pie and both times I have made it's come out perfect. I found 2 lemons = 1/2cup to 2/3cup of lemon juice.

WOW. I never knew making lemon meringue from scratch was so easy! Really delicious, I will never go back to pudding mix again. TIP: To keep meringue from falling off or weeping, be sure to do two things. 1. Put the meringue on the HOT pudding filling right before putting it in the oven. This helps cook the meringue from below as well as on top. 2. Spread that meringue alllll the way over to the crust and over it, creating a seal over every bit of lemon pudding. If you just do those simple things, your crust will not get soggy, and the pie will stay great for a couple of days in the fridge!

Ok, let me start by saying, I am a terrible baker. I have never made meringue. So, anyone who gave this a bad review was total user error. This pie is fantastic and way easy!! I made it for my in laws who love this pie! Everyone gave it beyond 5 stars. So, to avoid a yucky pie, don't use the entire peel, just the yellow rind part. Having a great zester helps. Good quality fresh ingredients helps, and following directions helps. (like who would really use bottled lemon juice?) Thanks to grandma, I have confidence to try more pies!

There was a lemon meringue pie recipe in my family that we always made. With all due respect to my mother and uncle, this is the absolute best I have ever had or made. I always use fresh lemons and with the zest, the flavor is out of this world. The meringue is the highest, stays the highest and is just sweet enough. I cannot thank Emilie enough for taking the time to share this recipe. I have made it now four times, it always comes out perfect. I am going to make it again now. Make sure you put the lemon filing in a cooled crust. Make sure the meringue goes on quickly onto the hot filling and into the oven. Watch it in the oven of course, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before cutting. A perfect recipe. Wouldn't change a thing.

This was my first "from scratch" lemon pie, and I can't believe how easy it was! My 9-year-old niece and I made this for my father. It turned out great. We added 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the meringue, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Dad couldn't wait for it to cool, but thought it was great, even warm. I'll make this again. Maybe even tomorrow! My kids will be thrilled to have one of their own.

This pie is really good. I only had one lemon, so I used bottled lemon juice also. A total of 1/2 cup of juice and the zest of the one lemon. The filling was just right. Not too sweet and not too tart. After adding egg yolks, cook filling about one more minute. The filling will then be the correct texture. When whipping the egg whites, add the sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Whip about 30 seconds between adding tablespoons of sugar. This is just like Grandma used to make. Those that give this recipe 1 star should stick with frozen supermarket pies.

I doubled the recipe and added an extra lemon for each pie and it tasted great! Only problem was, that it came out too runny - I think I was stirring it for too long. I didn't have any problem with the egg whites 'weeping' (no water under the pie even after refrigeration). I guess coz I did 2 things: first, after beating the egg whites [only] till foamy, i sifted confectioners sugar on it and let it sit for 5 minutes, then beating again for another 1 to 2 minutes. second, I put the egg whites on the pie while the filling was still hot. Try that. Might work. :)

This tasted fine but not the best version I've tried. My 2 lemons yeilded 1/2 cup & we thought it could've used a bit more lemon flavor. Also, this produced such a thin layer of filling, the recipe needs to be doubled or at least 1-1/2. (I did not use the meringue from this recipe, but probably should have!).

I wish I could say that this recipe looked and tasted fantastic, but I can't speak well of the latter. The former, however... - this pie was beautiful! The custard turned out the perfect consistency and was a lovely shade of yellow, with a gorgeous meringue. The *taste* however was tart to the point of making my husband and I frown on the first bite. And then the aftertaste from the 2 whole lemons worth of rind? Terrible. I am going to give this one another try, this time minus the rind, or perhaps with about a tablespoon or two's worth of rind. 2 lemons worth of rind makes almost a cup's worth and it's waaaaay too much. Beautiful looking pie, but BEWARE THE RIND!! (Also, here's a tip for those new to making meringue - CORNSTARCH, just a little, will almost eliminate weeping and make your meringue picture perfect: Per 4 egg whites, stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1/3 cup cold water, heat while stirring until the starch thickens. Set aside to cool. After the sugar has been beaten into the meringue and it forms soft peaks, add cornstarch mixture 1 TBSP at a time, beating to stiff peaks.

Excellent! Simple, fast, and inexpensive to boot! I used 3 smaller lemons (the size that's usually in a bag) and left out the zest. Tart, but not too tart. I beat the meringue on 10 on my KitchenAid, next time I looked, it was perfect! Served this with chicken salad on refrigerator croissants--the croissants and pie went in at the same temp. Had just enough time to pull out the pie, get plates ready, and the croissants were done. Pie filling was a little runny warm, but perfect once chilled! Thanks! (Also, heating lemons for 30 seconds in microwave produces more juice.) Update: January 31, 2006--if you do not have a Microplane zester, BUY ONE! Works incredibly well and doubles as a dead skin on feet scraper. Look for reviews. :) My really big dog loves to lick little bits of this off my fingers! His fave, my fave. :)

Great recipe! I follow the instructions exactly and it comes out perfect each time. Be sure to use juice from an actual lemon, and be sure to use the zest. To those having problems, remember to bake your shell first, let it cool. Add your lemon curd and put the meringue on while it is still hot. Also, be sure the meringues covers the pie right to the crust so that the pie is sort of sealed by the meringue. And finally.... Do not refrigerate at all until the pie has cooled completely. A lot of time these things are forgotten, and it leads to watery pie or soggy crust.

I'm not sure what I am doin wrong,but the filling will not thicken even after refrigerating

THIS PIE WAS VERY TASTY. I AGREE WITH OTHER REVIEWERS THAT IT WAS A BIT WATERY AND THE MERINGUE SLIPPED OFF OF THE PIE. BESIDES THAT THE FLAVOR WAS WONDERFUL!

I am so happy to find this recipe. It sounds just like the one my grandmother and my aunt made but they did not have a recipe, per se. It was so good and sometimes my aunt would add a layer of bananas between the crust and filling. I know this may not sound good but it was delicious. Can't wait to try it.

This is a great recipe. My meringue was watery, so the next time I made it, I pulled a "No Fail Meringue" recipe from All Recipes, which added cornstarch to it, and the meringue turned out just fine. I pulled a pie crust recipe for the pie crust from All Recipes and it turn out fine. I have made it now 3 times, and it's so good, and reminds me of the old days when the lunch counters served lemon meringue pie. And reminds me of my mom who used to work at those lunch counters. Thank you!!

The pie came out picture perfect.I increased the cornstarch to 4 spoons.The best thing is to boil it a little more, it will get rid of the eggy taste and it will be stiff enough in no time (the density of the filling was perfect). The meringue came out perfect with 1 more egg white, mixer whipping, a little salt and a drop of vinegar. My problem came from the unbelievable lemon flavor.So if you are not a fan of the strong lemon taste,I advice preparing the zest and juice (mine was from 3 small lemons) and adding it little at a time and tasting the curd afterwards. I also replaced water with milk.The milk thickens in contact with lemon juice so we already have an extra on density.I kept the pie crust warm,added the curd and immediately added the whites and popped it in the oven.I lowered the temps a bit till the meringue raised then raised it till golden brown.

the first time i made this was a learning experience. the merengue weeped, resulting in that watery layer, it shrunk, even though I was careful to seal the edges, and it was so tart that it tasted metallic. i tried it again, but added an extra quarter cup of sugar, and instead of water i used a cup of evaporated milk and a half cup of skim milk. i also added a teaspoon of white vinegar to the egg whites. i brought the filling to a hard boil and added the merengue immediately upon pouring the very hot filling into the shell. I let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerated it for 24 hours before cutting into it. The second time the texture was perfect, it didn't shrink, and the metallic taste was gone. the recipe does not spell out some of the technique involved, but it's a good recipe with some tweaking.

Really good and easy to make. I like the fact that it calls for using the zest in the pie, which the recipe I've been making for years does not.

This recipe was absolutely brilliant!! I decreased the water to 1 1/4 cups, as I prefer a thicker filling, and added a bit of yellow food colouring to give it more of a lemon colour. I also strained the cooked filling before adding it to the pie crust because some of the egg whites must have snuck past me and into the yolks, and there were a few white threads in the pot. This also ensured a smoother mixture, as it got rid of the zest. Very nice flavour, perfect balance of sweet and sour.

My husband loves lemon pie but it normally gives him heartburn, this recipe doesn't. I followed several suggestions below: 1. change servings to 12 2. use MILK!!!! not water 3. for 12 servings use 3 1/2 tablespoons of flour 4. use 1/2 cup of lemon juice.

I made this for my Easter guests, and even though my meringue was weepy, they raved! My first ever pie of this type, the filling rating alone would be 5 stars, but the meringue was lacking. I don't own a zester, so I used a grater to zest the lemon, then strained the filling before topping with the meringue. It was bright yellow and the perfect tart/sweet combination! I made the meringue first and added 1/2 tsp of cream of tartur, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I also upped the sugar to 8 Tbsp, as Emeril suggests 2 Tbsp per egg white. I put the meringue on the pie while the filling was piping hot, and baked it for 5 min. at 450 degrees. It came out of the oven looking amazing, but after refrigerating it had shrunk and was weeping. Upon doing a bit of research, I have read that this type of pie doesn't need refrigeration, just cover under an inverted bowl. This may help with weeping and shrinkage. I think next time I may try a cornstartch mixture as well.

I'm giving this recipe 5 stars. I always make deep dish pies. But never made a meringue pie before. Usually just use a whipped cream top. I asked the members on the Recipe Exchange a couple... ok, OK!... ALOT of questions... and as usual they came through. If making a deep dish pie make for 12 servings. I added a teaspoon of lemon juice to whites prior to whipping till frothy, like beer suds. A bit of vanilla after the POWDERED sugar was added. The powdered sugar contains both sugar and cornstarch. I made my meringue first and set it aside. Then I cooked the custard. Used milk instead of water. Grandma always did. I forgot to add the butter, but I tasted the spoon, and it was lemony creamy and pudding thick without it. I used a hand mixer for the whites, worked great! Remember to let the whites be a room temperature BEFORE whipping. Added vanilla and a pinch of salt to the finished whites. Add this to HOT custard. Seal all the way to the OUTER edge. I did it, now YOU can! Also baked meringue at 325F for about 15 minutes.

I followed Mamzilla's suggestions and made a spectacular pie. One tip -- whip the egg whites when they are at room temperature until foamy. Then, slowly add in the sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla.

I made this pie twice. The first time I made it exact, except I used 1/2 cup lemon juice. The lemons I had were fresh picked and were as large as oranges. One lemon produced 1 cup of juice. Imagine what yield I'd get using two. I think 2 lemons is too vague in a recipe like this. The pie was delicious. The next time I used 3/4 cup of fresh squeezed juice and reduced the water to 1-1/4 cup. Also reduced the sugar by 2 TBLS, as I like my pie on the tart side.

This recipe was excellent, my only comment is that luckily I have made meringue before or the omission of cream of tartar would have really had me working to whip it up.Cooks, you really should add at least 1 tsp of cream of tartar per egg to get a really stiff and fluffy meringue. Also be patient it takes a bit of whipping to get it going!! Other than that this recipe is awesome! Thanks.

Great recipe for lemon meringue pie- amazingly, it turned out just like the picture! I used a kitchen aid mixer for the merigue and it was really the finishing touch.

Here is a tip for keeping the meringue stiff, just add 1 large marshmallow when beating the egg whites. It has worked every time.

I've been making lemon meringue pie for years using the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I decided to give a new recipe a try. This recipe is not much different from that one, and I would say that it is no better or worse. Great lemon flavor. I had two rather large lemons and used the juice and zest from both. If you use a microplane zester, you shouldn't even notice any texture from the rind, just lots of tart lemon flavor. I used a graham cracker crust, which has always been a favorite in my family. I ended up baking the meringue for about 13 minutes, it came out beautiful, nice and glossy.

Wonderful! Made for family gathering by request. Increased lemon and zest to 1/2 cup, and used milk instead of water; added cream of tarter to topping which made the pie picture perfect. Just breath taking and everyone was impressed. Plan to make it at our next function.

I used 1/4 cup lemon juice and the zest of 1 large lemon as others suggested. It thickened beautifully and cut well. I like an easy clean-up, so I cooked all the ingredients (except meringue, of course) at one time in one large frying pan and stirred it constantly with a wisk. No lumps and consistently was very smooth. I use this method for all my cream pies and I never have problems. My granny taught me how to do it! I never use the double boiler or the add the hot mixture to the cold egg yolks and then return all to the pan method. I can't understand how others complained of the runny filling. The recipe was easy and delicious. I made my own pie crust and I used the egg pastry recipe as it is almost a no-fail one. It is especially good for beginners to use.

Great flavor! This was my first experience with meringue and I didn't know that the trick is to spread the meringue over the crust and to the pan. My meringue shrank and didn't look very pretty, but it tasted great!

It was hands down one of the very best lemon meringue pie I have ever eaten. And, my grandmother made what I thought was the best. But, this rivals it hands down!! Don't tweek it just follow the recipe.

I have made this pie so many times and it comes out perfectly every time. This recipe is SO EASY compared to others in this site. No double boiler, no stirring for 20 minutes. This sets up nice and fast, and tastes wonderful. Light, not too sweet. With the Meyer lemons in my back yard, I needed something to use them up. This is certainly the most delicious way! I do make the meringue before I start the filling. If I get it on while the filling nice and hot, the top never separates. What a wonderful recipe, thnks so much for sharing.

We absolutely loved this pie! My bf usually does not like the meringue part of pies and this time, he did! The pie was really lemon-y yet sweet, so it went hand in hand pretty good together! The pie was perfect, just make sure you really cut or grind up the lemon rinds. Also, when placing the meringue on the top of the pie, make sure it touches the end of the crust in order to prevent shrinkage of the topping. Also, I would recommend letting it cool off instead of putting it rapidly into the freezer as I did. The meringue seemed to go down just a tad. This will be the recipe I use for future lemon meringue pies. Thanks!!! =)

This recipe is great. The lemon curd is delicious. The only thing I do differently is make more merengue. Merengue deflates a bit after baking so if you increase the merengue by 2 egg whites and 2 more tablespoons of sugar you will have a perfect amount for 1 pie. I also add 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the egg whites before whipping them (they whip up more easily with this) and I add a half teaspoon of vanilla to make the merengue extra flavorful. Hope you enjoy these tips! Yum on.

This was awesome. Half way through making the custurd I asked my mom to taste it and she didn't want to wait till it was finished. One thing I did change was to let the egg whites sit to get a little warm. And if you like to have a tall meringue you should add a couple more egg whites. But other than that, this was amazing.

this is a very good lemon meringue pie. my husband loved it. i made no changes at all. very good lemon flavor and the whole pie was gone in 2 days.... i did not change one ingredient as some reviews did. how can you review a recipe when you change the ingredients to your way.

My mother was an excellent baker along with my Aunt who had a catering business and a bake shop so I have many homemade recipes and lots of experience as well but i still like to try other recipes. I came across this recipe and thought I'd try it. I have Ponderosa lemons in my yard so the fresh lemon juice made the filling extra good. However, when i got to the meringue, I knew something wasn't right, then i realized an ingredient or 2 was left out which makes an excellent, beatiful meringue. To make a good merinue, one that looks whippy with peaks that stand high you need cream of tartar and a hint of vanilla flavoring. To just use sugar you will only get whipped sugar that eventually breaks down and you will not have the foamy peaks that make your pie look wonderful.Friends didn't want to eat it because it was "too pretty to eat" and to me, a lot is all about presentation. Otherwise, the filling recipe was good.

This one works really well. Remember to "seal the crust" as the recipe suggest, it helps keep the meringue in place after its cooked. I added the meringue on top of a hot lemon filling, I think it helps seal up the bottom of the merigue nicely. I cooked it at 325 F for 20 minutes to get a nice golden meringue with browned peaks. PLEASE- remember to keep the pie out of the fridge to prevent weeping and condensation droplets on the meringue.

I haven't made the recipe yet but in regards to the running between the meringue and the filling: allow the pie to reach room temp after chilling before adding the meringue

This was the best Lemon Meringue Pie I have made yet. I followed the instructions exactly and doubled it for 2 pies. It was a perfect balance of sweet and tart, and firmed up beautifully. I tried it that evening while it was still room temperature and in the morning after chilling in the fridge. I MUCH preferred it after it was chilled/slightly more firm, and it was still good 2 days later! Thanks for a great recipe! NOTE: I brushed the unbaked pie shells with some of the egg white before I baked them. This protected the crust from getting soggy from the warm lemon filling.

Considering I've never made a lemon meringue pie. This was exceptionally well. The results were professional and my father was very happy with his birthday pie. :)

Easy and delicious! I am not a professional baker and yet this was not only easy to make, but its tasty as well. I read some of the reviews and used milk instead of water and added a 1/2 tablespoon more of cornstarch.

I had the same problem as most others where after baking the pie and letting it cool to room temperature there was a lot of liquid between the meringue and filling. It turned the crust soggy and the pie didn't hold up enough to serve nicely.. HOWEVER. The pie itself tasted fantastic!!!!!!!! I had no problem serving it to others looking like it did when it tasted soooooo good. I used the juice and zest of 1 large lemon(a little over 1/2 cup juice). The filling was thick enough just that liquid made it hard to serve. Anyone fiquire out why the liguid????

One of the few desserts I truly enjoy and this pie was excellent! We're all lemon lovers here, so needless to say, your recipe made my whole family very happy! Thanks much Emilie!

This pie is amazing...I followed the recipealmost exactly. The only changes I made was to use to lemon and rind of 4 lemons, and to add couple of drops of vanilla essense to the meringue. The sugar is perfect for our taste. For the user whose meringue was flat, maybe that could be because you over-beat the egg whites. Over-beating can make the egg whites flat. As soon as it is stiff, stop whisking the egg whites. Add the vanilla and the sugar and whisk it only for a minute or two. Then the egg whites will be stiff and hold its shape. For meringue pie recipes, I don't find it necessary to add cream of tarter if I am adding sugar. Back to this recipe.. a fantastic lemon meringue pie!!

Great! Consistent results all 5 times that I have made this pie. I love this pie so much I entered it into the church fundraiser. It went for $55.00! This one is a keeper.

I'm a "family" cook (for 40 some years) and nothing gourmet so that's my level of experience and I had never baked a meringue pie. My husband loves lemon pie so I decided to tackle this for Valentine's Day. Wow! It was a huge success. I did watch the video and followed the directions exactly including "tempering" the egg yolk by adding a bit of the hot filling before putting the yolks into the hot pan. My meringue was perfect; I'm just so proud of myself. Thanks, Emily for posting.

I recommend making your pie dough in advance - ready in the fridge to make this an easier task. I found it too bitter because of the rind. Recipe should be more specific on actual quantity, rather than a number of lemons since they vary in size. I reduced amount the second time around and it was perfect!

I have used 1 tsp. of gelatin in the filling in order for it to keep its shape, otherwise it separates. Also to keep the meringue from weeping, keep the door of the oven ajar (about an inch or two open)it will guarentee a non-weeping pie! Good luck

I did exactly as the recipe said, and followed the advice of the best rated reviews, but the meringue pulled away from the crust, and there is watery ooze between the meringue and the filling. Why??

My husband, who's the big lemon meringue pie fan, loved it.

Good lemon meringue pie. My first time making one. Turned out pretty good, I learned you need to dollop the meringue on the top and not smooth it out too much. The filling was good, but not quite what I was looking for. Not too sweet, not too tart. I don't like zest in my food so I didn't add it. Thanks for the recipe!

I had to make this recipe a few times to get the perfect result, but I finally have it. Unfortunately as printed it misses out how important it is to cover the topping with meringue immediately after pouring the topping into the pie crust and to spread it to the edges so that it sticks to the pie crust. The flavour is excellent though, but as with any recipe that calls for the juice of a lemon rather than a specific quantity, taste your filling to make sure it is to your taste.

I made this recipe exactly as called for and it turned out excellent. This is the first time I made a lemon meringue pie from scratch and it tastes so much better. The bottom of the crust ended up being a little wet and mushy so next time I will let it cool longer on the counter before putting it in the fridge.

I thought this was good, didn't change one thing on this recipe. My filling thickened up beautifully, not runny at all. My meringue did weep, which I didn't know what that meant until I looked it up. Apparently, the filling is supposed to be really hot when you spread the meringue to avoid weeping. Unfortunately, I started making the meringue after I had filled my pie shell, so it had cooled some before topping with the meringue. The meringue turned out well without adding anything extra. There are no cooling instructions, but I let it sit on the counter for about an hour and we ate it slightly warm, which I think tasted better than refrigerated.

This is a fantastic recipe! The lemon filling is really thick and gooey, and is complimented perfectly by the light meringue. Just remember to prebake the pie crust! I forgot to, and only realized it when it came out of the oven 'finished.' Luckily, I had the energy to try it again! It was great!

This is the best lemon meringue pie I've ever tasted! I made this twice. The first time I made it after reading a bunch of reviews and used some suggestions. Forget it...DON'T do that. Make this just as it is written and it is wonderful!!!! Just remember that you need to add the meringue as soon as you have filled the pie shell with the filling. It has to be piping hot so that when it cools and chills the meringue and filling do not separate and leak. Just a perfect pie that I will make again and again!!!

This is a fabulous recipe. I just took the pie out of the oven and it is beautiful. I had very juicy home grown lemons and had just over 1/3 cup of juice. Very unfair for reviewers to change the recipe up and then give one star because it didn't work out. With meringue you need to start out a little slow until it is frothy and then speed things up and start adding your sugar one Tbsp at a time, by the time you are adding the final Tbsp the meringue should be almost ready...beat at high speed until you get soft to medium peaks. If you beat too long the meringue will collaspe and be useless. I use a hand mixer...my KitchenAid is so powerful it is easy to ruin delicate egg whites.

This was a delicious pie! There was a perfect amount of sugar to tartness in the lemon filling. I used a homemade honey graham cracker crust to go with this, since honey goes very well with citrus. I'm not very big on meringues, so I downed the egg whites to lnly 3 with 4 1/2 tbs of sugar, 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar, and a 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. This may even be good with some pie crust and made into lemon pie bars! I'm most definitely going to try that next time around, since the lemon really holds up excellently. I love this recipe so much!

I followed the recipe as written and I wouldn't change a thing. This pie is awesome!

Very good, made it exactly as recipe described except I passed the lemon filling through a sieve as I filled the pie shell to remove the zest and any lumps.

I've been baking for years. Everything from cookies to custom cakes. I've always struggled with pies and especially meringue topping. This is hands down the best tasting prettiest lemon meringue pie recipe I've ever made!

Wasn't enought for me all the kids ate it I had to bake another

Followed the recipe exactly, but noticed that I needed way more time on the baking. 10 minutes is simply not enough time. Baked for an additional 30 minutes and even then, it was still soupy. Makes me wonder if I didn't cook/beat the layers for a long enough time? Very good, but will need to try again to perfect the art of meringue pie.

I read so many reviews, followed tips.... Mine didn't turn out. It didn't set by it was extremely runny. No surprise I never have any luck with lemon meringue!

this is the best lemon meringue pie i have ever had. it is a little time consuming, but well worth the effort! the only change i made was increaing to 4 tablespoons of cornstarch instead of 3 tablespoons, but kept everything else the same. my pie did not thicken enough with only 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. one important key i learned for lemon meringue pie is to let is cool at room temperature for about 2 hours then lightly cover and refrigerate. this pie tastes so fresh, it is the perfect combination of tart and sweet.

This pie is fantastic made just the way the recipe was written. It is sweet,tart and has a good consistency-just the way lemon meringue pie is supposed to be. Also,never let your pie cool all the way before you add the meringue. The filling must be hot as to cook the bottom of the meringue so it will not slide off or weep. If your meringue is melting as you put it on the hot filling,the meringue was not whipped properly,or a mistake was made in the recipe.

This pie was great and my family loved it - it was gone in 24 hours! Next time I might try using milk instead of water in the filling, plus a little extra lemon for a little tangier taste, although it was delicious the way it was.

Good flavor, but even after following the recipe to a "T" my pie was soupy.