This is the only way you should be making a lemon meringue pie: shortbread crust, tart lemon filling, and fluffy toasted Italian meringue. It’s reminiscent of a lemon bar with the bonus of toasted homemade marshmallow fluff.

When done right, it is hands down one of the best pies you will have. The meringue is the star of the show – a dreamy, light fluff that gets toasted just like a perfect toasted marshmallow.

It’s more like a lemon meringue tart, than a lemon meringue pie.

Instead of a classic pie crust, I do a shortbread crust. It’s a little sweeter and more sturdy than a butter pie crust, and no rolling is involved. Since I first discovered a recipe for a press in tart crust that’s what I’m making most often.

In most recipes, you bake the meringue on top of the filling to toast and cook the egg whites. I would tend to stay away from those recipes. The meringue tends to veer on the side of a tasteless sponge and I’m really not about that for my pie. Instead, I opt for an Italian-style meringue.

Don’t be intimidated by homemade meringue!

This Italian meringue is basically marshmallow fluff. It is the most stable meringue you can make. A hot sugar syrup is added to the beaten egg whites which gently cooks them as they whip into a stable meringue that does not need to be baked. Just be very cautious when adding the hot sugar to the mixer. Be sure to stream the liquid down the side of the bowl instead of in the middle of the mixer so it does not spray onto you. Once it’s whipped, dollop the meringue into a mound on the lemon filling. Use the back of the spoon to make pretty swirls. Make sure to get good texture for maximum toastage.

Now crank out that culinary torch (that rarely gets touched) and impress all your friends with this stunner of a pie. If you don’t have a culinary torch, no worries, just broil the meringue for a few minutes.

lemon meringue pie

Ingredients

crust
1⅓ cups (200g) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
1½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
filling
½ cup lemon juice, 2-3 lemons
1 ½ cups (360g) water
2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 lemons
1 cup (200g) sugar
⅓ cup (40g) cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
meringue
4 egg whites (room temp)
1 cup (200g) sugar
⅓ (79g) cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (or lemon juice)
⅛ teaspoon salt

Directions

crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in melted butter and stir until incorporated. The dough will play-doh-like in texture and a little crumbly. (Do not knead or overmix the dough. You do not want to develop gluten, that is how the crust shrinks on you).
Press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch springform pan. Use a fork to prick small holes across the surface to allow steam to escape as it bakes.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
filling
While the crust is baking, zest and juice your lemons.
Add sugar and lemon zest to a small saucepan. Massage the lemon zest into the sugar. (this lets the oils come out)
Add lemon juice, water, cornstarch, and salt to the lemon sugar and place saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture come to a boil while occasionally stirring.
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and place each in separate bowls (make sure the bowl with the egg yolks is big enough to add a cup of liquid).
Once the mixture boiling, remove from heat and temper the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of liquid into the egg yolks. Add another 1/2 cup then add the whole mixture back into the saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil again. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in butter.
Pour the filling through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps (this is optional, but recommended for a silky smooth filling) then pour the filling into the prepared crust. Let cool and place a piece of plastic over the top until ready to top with meringue.
meringue
Add sugar and water to a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and syrup registers 240°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Swirling the mixture occasionally while it heats. This will take longer on an induction stove.
When the syrup reaches 230°F beat egg whites with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
With the mixer running, gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites. Stream the liquid down the side of the bowl instead of the middle of the mixer so it hot sugar does not spray on you. Continue beating until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.
Dollop the meringue into a mound on the lemon filling. You can also pipe this if you want, I like to make pretty swirls with the back of a spoon. Once you feel good about the decoration, place in the fridge until you are ready to serve, or at least for 30 minutes. This will let the meringue set so it will be cleaner when you slice.
When ready to serve, toast the meringue with a culinary torch. I like to get it a dark brown, like a toasted marshmallow. If you don’t have a torch, turn the oven on broil and place under the broiler for a few minutes until nice and toasty.