Lemon Meringue Pie

For my family's New Year's Day Christmas gathering, I was in charge of dessert.  So I made a classic Lemon Meringue Pie.   The lemon filling could have been cooked thicker before I poured it into the crust, but the meringue turned out great, and it all tasted great.

Lemon Meringue Pie
from The New Best Recipe cookbook

Ingredients:
1 Pre-baked Pie Crust, cooled completely

Lemon Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1&1/2 cups cold water
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice from about 2-3 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meringue:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
For the filling:
Mix the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and water in a large saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally at the beginning and more frequently as it begins to thicken.  When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, whisk in the egg yolks, two at a time.  Whisk in the zest, then the lemon juice, and finally the butter. Bring to a good simmer, whisking constantly.  Remove from the heat and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling to prevent a film from forming.

For the meringue:
Mix the cornstarch and water in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally at first, then more frequently as it thickens.  When it starts to simmer and turns translucent, remove from heat.

Beat the egg whites and vanilla until frothy.  Combine the sugar and cream of tartar and add to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the sugar is completely incorporated and soft peaks form.  Add the cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue to beat the meringue to stiff peaks.

Remove the plastic from the lemon filling and return to heat for a couple minutes to ensure filling is hot.  Pour the hot filling into the pie shell.  Using a spatula, immediately distribute the meringue evenly around the edges and then to the center, making sure the meringue attaches to the pie crust all the way around (to prevent shrinking when cooked).  Use the back of a spoon to create peaks all over the meringue.  Bake the pie on the middle oven rack at 325º for about 20-25 minutes until the meringue is golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Serve the same day.