Lemon Balm

Hi Haley,

It's Thursday morning and I'm cranky. To all appearances it's been a perfect morning. My little hubby made me an omelet for breakfast. Then he drove me to work, where I said a curt goodbye and pecked him on the cheek. I'm a terrible person. Well, no, not really. But I am cranky. I think it might be the whole 'work' thing that's getting me down. You and I aren't really ones for work. In the mornings we'd rather stay home and bake bread and go for a walk on a leaf strewn path as it rises.

But life goes on.

And on.

But I did read the blog, see your pumpkin pie, and smile. I have also had pie on the brain. While I haven't been utilizing a pat in crust, I have been taking a short cut. Mine is to make a big batch of dough, enough for four single crust pies, and then put three disks of dough in the freezer.

Victoria's been a little gloomy lately, lots of clouds, and the sun's been disappearing very early. Too hang onto that sunshine just a little longer, I made a lemon meringue pie on Sunday. Caleb's parents were away. They asked us to come by and let the cat our (or was it in?). Either way, the cat needed attention. So on Sunday night we took a couple of slices of pie and a bottle of wine over to the Speller residence. We lit a fire in the hearth, pulled the couch up and close and played house. Suddenly, October didn't seem so gloomy.



Sunny Lemon Meringue Pie


I used the Better Homes and Gardens lemon meriangue pie recipe. It is a classic. Many lemon pie recipes use lemon curd, which is very nice. This one is a rift on lemon curd, and includes the addition of water, which makes for a lighter pie, both in taste and calorie/fat content.


1 9-inch Baked Pastry Crust
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter, cut up
1/2 to 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
6 tablespoons sugar



First, seperate your three eggs and beat the egg yolks. Set them aside.



Then, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, and water in a saucepan. Now pop it onto the stovetop and bring to a boil. Be sure to stir constantly to avoid sticking. Boil for two minutes. The mixture should get nice and thick. Take the pot off the stove and spoon aproximately a cup's worth into the egg yolks.


Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot and mix it into the cornstarch and water mixture. Put the pot back on the stove. Bring it to all to a gentle boil and boil for two more minutes. Stir all the while to prevent sticking.


Take the pot off the stove. Stir in the zest. Stir in the butter. Slowly stir in the lemon juice. Put a lid on the pot to keep it all warm while you focus on the meringue.


Meringue:

Beat the egg whites and cream of tarter on meduim speed for about a minute. Soft peaks should start to form. Now crank your beater into high and add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat about four minutes until stiff peaks form.


Assemble:

Pour lemon filling into your pie crust. Spoon the meringue overtop, spreading it out over the edge of the crust because it will shrink back a bit.


Now bake it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until the tips of the meringue are lightly browned.


Variation: For a low fat version, omit the crust and pour the lemon filling right into a pie plate before topping with the meringue and baking according to the recipe instructions. It still tastes great!