Lemon Meringue Pie

I am a genius!!! One day, while making a lemon gelatin (for a poke cake), I thought, “I wonder what would happen if I used this idea to make a lemon pie?” Because I SERIOUSLY MISS lemon pie!! I perfected it on my third attempt, and so, I share it with you…just in time for spring!!

Ingredients/recipe

CRUST:

Already prepared pie crust (I want to share a crust recipe, but it is not ready…yet)

LEMON PIE:

Lemons (approximately 4 large)

Can of Coconut Milk (will use only 1 cup)

1 1/2 cups of sugar

Agar agar (similar to gelatin, but sets up at room temp and is vegan)

Pinch of salt

MERINGUE:

150 ml aquafaba (juice from can of garbanzo beans)

200 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

CRUST:

Prepare the pie crust according to directions. Or, and this is how we ate it when I was testing recipes, don’t make a crust at all. It is perfectly delicious without it.

LEMON “CUSTARD”:

Zest the lemons. Try to only get the yellow part. The white part (between the outside, yellow part and the inside juicy part) is bitter, so you don’t want to add this to the pie!

*Side note: Even though you are zesting the lemons first, you do not add this until THE VERY END.

Juice the lemons. You need 1 cup liquid, so juice as many lemons as you can to get this.

*Side note: Do you know how to pick lemons at the store? Scrape a tiny piece with your fingernail. Does it smell amazing like a lemon should? Then it will taste amazing. If not, try another one. Also, a friend (Thanks, Jen!!) taught me that the smooth lemons and limes are the juiciest, not the bumpy ones. So far, I have seen that to be true.

Put the lemon juice in a medium pot.

Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the pot.

Add 1 cup of the liquid part of a can of coconut milk.

*Side note: I added some of the solids from the can of coconut milk to one of my trial recipes. It tastes great, there is just a weird, distinct layer difference. If that happens, don’t fret. It will still taste good! It just looks a little funny.

Add 2 tsp agar agar

Pinch of salt

Put pot of stove with medium high heat and whisk.

Continue to whisk until it comes to a boil.

Set timer for 3 minutes, TURN DOWN HEAT TO LOW, and CONTINUE TO WHISK.

After three minutes, remove from heat and add lemon zest.

Stir and let set approximately 5 minutes, then pour into already prepared pie crust.

I put it in the fridge so it would set up faster. Plus, I prefer a cold lemon meringue pie.

I waited about 20-30 minutes then finished with the meringue.

MERINGUE TOPPING:

Measure approximately 150ml of aquafaba (garbanzo bean juice) into a bowl.

Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Using the whisk attachment on a mixer, or a hand-held mixer, beat on medium-high until foamy.

Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar.

Continue mixing until soft peaks form. It is still billowy, but you can hold the bowl upside down. I have found that aquafaba is less fussy than egg whites, if I’m honest. So much easier to work with.

Slowly add the sugar into the bowl, while continuing to beat. It should look shiny and delicious, like a beautiful marshmallow cloud!

Remove pie from fridge and dollop the marshmallow on top.

Turn oven to BROIL and place pie inside.

WATCH IT!!!!!

Toast until lightly brown.

Remove from oven. You are done!

Let it set for a few minutes, and then enjoy!!

Ingredients: lemons, coconut milk, aquafaba (juice from garbanzo beans), agar agar, sugar and powdered sugar…

Gluten-free pie crust, already baked and ready to go…

Pinch of salt…

Vanilla extract…

…and cream of tartar.

Zest 4 large lemons (Remember! Do not add the zest until the very end!!)

Then juice the lemons…

…to get 1 cup (juice another lemon if you don’t have enough, or add water-just know it won’t be as tart if you add water)

Pour lemon juice into a medium size pot.

Measure 1 1/2 cups sugar…

…and add to the pot.

Measure 1 cup of the liquid from a can of coconut milk and add to the pot.

Add a good pinch of salt to the pot.

Add 2 tsp agar agar to the pot.

Give it a good whisk and set the burner to medium high.

Continue to whisk.

When it begins to boil, turn heat down to LOW.

Set timer for 3 MINUTES and CONTINUE TO WHISK.

When timer is done, remove from heat and add lemon zest.

Stir and let sit for approximately 5 minutes.

Pour into prepared crust…

…all the way to the top.

I put it in the fridge because I love cold lemon pie!

After about 30 minutes, I get everything ready to make the meringue…

…last ingredient, cream of tartar.

Add 150 ml aquafaba and 1 tsp vanilla extract to a bowl.

Using whisk attachment on stand mixer, or using hand-held mixer, beat on medium high.

Tilting bowl to the side can help.

Stop and add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar to the bowl.

Continue beating the mixture.

I beat until I can hold the bowl up, and it doesn’t slide out.

Slowly add the powdered sugar, one spoonful at a time, while continuing to beat on medium (I couldn’t take a picture, and beat, and add the sugar, lol)

Look how pretty it is!

So shiny and perfect!

Get the pie from the fridge. It should be firm and not slide if tipped.

Dollop the meringue on top. (You can taste it if you like. It tastes like marshmallow from a jar!)

Make a pretty design on top!

If you have a torch, you can use it now. But for the rest of us peasants, put it in the oven with the setting on ‘BROIL.’ KEEP AN EYE ON IT! DO NOT WALK AWAY!!