INGREDIENTS :

1-¼ C Sugar
½ C Flour
½ t Salt
1-½ C Water
3 Eggs, separated
Zest from 1 medium lemon
Juice from 1-½ medium lemons
1 T Butter
1 Baked, cooled 9" pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine the sugar, flour, salt and water in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Boil, stirring constantly and vigorously, for 1 minute. (A long-handled spoon to stir with really helps here to get you back from the heat.) Remove from heat.

Slightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl with a fork. Mix half the boiled mixture with the egg yolks. Then put the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the boiled ingredients, and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly and, again, vigorously. Remove from heat, and add the butter.

Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Pour into cooled, baked 9-inch pie crust and top with meringue (recipes follow), sealing meringue to edge of pastry. Bake in a 375°F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meringue

3 Egg whites (from extra large or jumbo eggs), at room temperature
5 T Sugar
½ t Vanilla
¼ t Cream of tartar

Beat the egg whites on high speed of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar, then gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla. Pile atop pie, and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Generally speaking, the proportion of sugar to egg whites is not quite 2 to 1 (e.g., for a 4-egg meringue, use about 6 tablespoons of sugar; vanilla and cream of tartar can remain the same).

Be sure to seal the meringue to the pastry edge when spreading it on your pie. Also, remember that meringue pies cut better with a wet knife blade.