Lemon Meringue Pie, Tasty Tuesday

The secret to an outstanding lemon meringue pie is in the lemon.  According to my mom, the world's best pie baker, you need to use a Ponderosa lemon. That is the secret to awesomeness.  And my mom knows awesome.

The Ponderosa can be difficult to find -- call, email or stop in any orange shop and see if they have some -- they may not even know what you're talking about, so elusive is she.

I suppose I am thinking about the Ponderosa lemon now because I've just spent a week in Florida, the closest place for me to acquire a fresh Ponderosa.....
  And I thought this was prime Ponderosa season.  Of course it's prime orange and grapefruit season, but they're telling me the lemons ripen in July and August.  I'm not convinced, however, that they are correct about the Ponderosa.  She's not just a lemon, she's not any old lemon, and I think she ripens later in the year.   Sadly, I never found my Ponderosa on this recent trip.

You only need one, the Ponderosa is huge and one will actually make a couple pies.

Mix in saucepan:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups water

  (note: Mix the cornstarch with the sugar BEFORE putting in any liquids that way you can make sure you get all the lumps out.  If it's clumpy in the box stir it up good before even measuring it out but mixing it with the sugar should do it you never can get that or flour or anything "unclumped" once you put it in liquids.)

Stir in gradually:   

1 1/2 cups water

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickens and boils.  Boil

1 minute.  Remove from heating surface and slowly pour half of mixture

into:  3 egg yolks slightly beaten (let them sit in a bowl on the stove next to the saucepan mixture to get warm prior to using).

Then blend into mixture left in pan and boil 1 minute longer, stirring

constantly.  Remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth.

 

Blend in  

3 Tbs. butter

1/2 cup squeezed lemon juice from your Ponderosa lemon (any other lemon will work, too, just not as good)

                          

Pour into baked pie shell.  Cover with meringue and bake until meringue is golden brown (not too long)  I put it under broiler but watch it CONSTANTLY because it WILL get too burnt if you don't watch it and get it

out as soon as it's lightly browned!!!

Meringue:    

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tarter

6 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg whites with cream of tarter until frothy.  Gradually beat in sugar a little at a time.  Continue beating until peaks form and add vanilla.  Cover pie and bake as above.