Citrus Meringue Pie Recipe from Lomelino's Pies

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CITRUS MERINGUE PIE Through the years, I’ve tested many variations of citrus and meringue pies, and this is my absolute favorite.

This version is creamy and sweet but still just tart enough. I like using more than one kind of citrus fruit when I make these pies, but it works just as well with only one kind, such as lemon or orange. You’ll need a brûlée torch for this recipe.

Pie Shell 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Mix the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter and stir it into the flour mixture. Pinch in the butter with your fingers until the dough coheres. Divide the dough into the three pie pans. Press it out to fill each pan and then prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Blind-bake the shells (see page 24) on the lower rack of the oven for 18 minutes or until the bottom of the shell begins to color. Remove the piecrust from the oven and let it cool.

3 small pies, 5¼ inches in diameter, 6–8 servings

Citrus Filling and Meringue Topping 1. In a bowl, beat the sweetened condensed milk with the egg yolks, citrus juice, citrus zest, and salt until smooth. Pour the filling equally into the pie shells and bake them on the middle rack of the oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until the filling is firm but still a little wobbly in the center. Remove the pies from the oven and let them cool.

2. For the meringue topping, pour the egg whites and granulated sugar into a heatproof bowl and place it over a simmering water bath. Beat the mixture with a hand whisk until it reaches 150°F or the sugar melts (carefully rub a little of the mixture between your fingers to determine whether the sugar is smooth or still granular) and the mixture is hot.

3. Remove the bowl from the water bath and use an electric mixer to beat the meringue until it is quite thick and has cooled. Pipe the meringue over the citrus filling and caramelize it with a brûlée torch.

P I EC R U S T 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar ¼ teaspoon sea salt 9 tablespoons (4½ ounces) butter CITRUS FILLING 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue topping) ⅓ cup freshly squeezed citrus juice (I used a combination of lemon, orange, and clementine orange juice) 2 teaspoons finely grated citrus zest (I used half orange, half lemon peel) ¼ teaspoon sea salt M ER I N G UE TO PPI N G 3 egg whites ¾ cup granulated sugar

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Lomelinos Pies_4th Pages.indd 110

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5/26/17 3:38 PM