Lemon Pie

Lemon Pie

Crust.

• • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

  • 3 tablespoons cold milk

  • 1 egg white

Filling and Topping.

• • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 4 eggs

  • 3/4 cup lemon juice (from 3-4 small lemons)

  • zest of 2 small lemons

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Crust.

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter in until crumbly, and the pieces of butter are no bigger than peas. Add the milk, then use your hands to work the dough just until it comes together to form a ball. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to between 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a deep-dish pie pan and trim the edges. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400. Set a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) onto the crust, and fill the paper with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack in the oven. Remove from the oven; carefully lift the parchment paper out with the weights and set aside. Use a fork to lightly beat the egg white, then use a pastry brush to brush the egg white over the crust. Return to the oven (without the weights), and bake for another 15 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.

Filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325. In the same bowl you used to mix the dough, combine the sugar and flour, then whisk in the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour into the slightly cooled crust, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is a pale golden brown, but still wobbly. Cool at room temperature for one hour, then chill in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight, until set.

Before serving, pour the whipping cream into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another minute or two until thick and fluffy. If serving the entire pie at once, spread or pipe the whipped cream over the filling just before serving, or keep the whipped cream in a separate container to serve on individual leftover slices.

Yields 8 servings

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen