The Happiest Pie in the World

Is there anything happier than lemon meringue pie? The fresh lemony smell, the warm, smooth texture and the sunniest color in the world make it hard to not eat the filling before you top the pie and bake it! I'd never made lemon meringue pie before, and I'll admit I was a little worried about the prospect. It seemed daunting somehow. Turns out I was totally wrong. It was straightforward and FUN to make. (And eat.) My only advice? Don't overbeat the egg whites like I did, so that you'll end up with a beautiful, curlicue top instead of a fluffy mess. Oh and take note that you only need 4 eggs total. So save the egg whites when you crack the eggs the 1st time around. I accidentally used 8. Oops! Oh well, time for you to try it on your own now- remember the picture doesn't do it justice. Enjoy!

Mama Joopsie's Lemon Meringue Pie

1 ½ c. sugar

1 ½ c.water

½ tsp salt

½ c. cornstarch

1/3 c water

Combine sugar, 1 ½ c water, and salt in saucepan; heat to boiling. Mix cornstarch and 1/3 c water to make smooth paste; add to boiling mixture gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until think and clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

½ c lemon juice

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp grated lemon peel

Combine egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir into above thickened mixture. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles again. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon peel. Cool until lukewarm.

4 egg whites

¼ tsp salt

½ c sugar

Add salt to egg whites; beat until frothy in mixer at high speed. Gradually add ½ c sugar, beating until glossy stiff peaks are formed. Stir 2 rounded tbsp of meringue into lukewarm filling.

Pour filling into cool pie shell. Pile meringue on top and spread lightly over filling, spreading evenly to edge of crust.

Bake at 325 about 15 minutes , or until lightly browned. Cool at least 1 hour before cutting.

An update:
I recently made this pie again and it turned out much more beautifully than the last time: