Lemon Meringue Goodness

Butter, vanilla, sugar and vanilla tickles the air in my kitchen...why? Because there is a homemade pie in the oven!

My mom would me make lemon pies without using an electric mixer. I would often regret offering to help when it felt like my arm was going to fall off from whipping egg whites for 20 minutes or so! All of that would soon be forgotten with one bit of tart lemon and sweet graham cracker crust. Now I use a handheld kitchenaid the hubby bought me one year. It takes less than 3 minutes to get perfect meringue.

My mom was very happy the year I bought her a hand held mixer for Christmas though :-)

Recipe
3 medium sized lemons
1 can of condensed milk (currently on sale at Whole Foods)
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
some sugar
some vanilla
about 1 package of the 3 in a regular box of honey graham crackers
round 8 inch pie pan
some butter

First
Crush the graham crackers either in an open ziplock bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Add sugar to taste and mix well. Melt some butter and add that. The mixture should mold well. Take out about a tablespoon of the crushed graham and put aside.Using your hands, or a spoon, mold the crust into the bottom of the pan, pushing up from the middle to the sides to create a shell. The crust should be spread evenly around and a little on the sides. Bake this at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Yes, you can use a pre-made shell, but making it guarantees you complete control over the amount of sugar and butter used.

Second
While that is baking, roll the lemons by hand on a hard surface until they are super soft and malleable. I love that word :-) Now juice them into a small bowl. If you use a colander it will help with seed removal. It's ok if pulp gets in- we like that! Set aside.

Third
Two bowls. Separate your eggs, 2 egg yolks in one bowl, 3 egg whites in the other bowl. Now you are wondering what to do with the 3rd egg yolk, huh? You can save it, cook it, or toss it. Whip your egg whites either with a fork or whisk by hand, non stopping for about 20 minutes till stiff peaks form. Or, break out a handheld mixer and whip for a few minutes on high. Now add some sugar to taste. I add about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Mix that some more until well blended in. Set aside.

Fourth
Add 1 can of condensed milk to the egg yolks. Mix using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add some vanilla. Maybe about a teaspoon. You can never have too much vanilla! Mix well. Add the lemon juice. Mix well. Should start resembling custard.

Fifth
Assemble it all! Pour the lemon mixture in to the graham crust. Spoon the egg whites on top. Smooth it around and form little snow caps with a spoon. Now get the crushed graham you had set aside and sprinkle that on top. Is this necessary? No. It just looks fancy :-)

Sixth
Put it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The meringue will be golden brown. Take out and let cool for about an hour to let it set. My mom likes to eat it this way. I like to let it cool, then put it in the fridge. I like mine cold. Matt is indifferent; pie is pie. Either way, you have to refrigerate leftovers.