Good morning, welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: August 15th, 2021. Today is a day to celebrate Lemon Meringue Pie and before you ask no, I am not having any because I don’t care for Lemons.
Also Charlie isn’t either but I bet you if I had a Lemon Meringue Pie David would eat a slice or two in memory of my mom who loved both Lemon Meringue Pie and Cocoanut Pie. Which of these Pies do you like?
National Lemon Meringue Pie Day (Julia Child’s Birthday)
Lemons seem to be refreshing and delightful, no matter what kind of recipe are made with them–Lemonade, Lemon Vinaigrette, Lemon Cake or Lemon Sorbet Ice Cream. It’s easy to use Lemons in all sorts of Culinary explorations to make life just a bit more interesting.
Along those lines of naming things made with Lemony goodness comes one of the favorites: Lemon Meringue Pie Day! Lemon Meringue Pie is probably one of the most famous Lemon Desserts. And it’s really no wonder, why considering it has a deliciously golden crust, a tangy Custard center and a fluffy Meringue topping.
In fact, Lemon Meringue Pie is one of the most popular pies in Great Britain as well as America. Lemon Meringue Pie sits alongside classics such as Apple, Pumpkin and Pecan Pies. For people who’ve never tasted or made a Lemon Meringue Pie, or those who just feel like an excuse to enjoy its sweet tanginess, celebrate Lemon Meringue Pie with the world today!
History of Lemon Meringue Pie Day
Here is a brief peek into the culinary history that reveals Lemon flavored Custards, Puddings and Pies have been enjoyed since at least Medieval times.
But the art of the actual Meringue that goes on top of this Pie seems to have been perfected in the 17th century in France. Even after that, the two were not actually combined together in this ideal union until the Lemon Meringue Pie was lovingly created sometime around the 19th-century.
Exactly who made the Lemon Meringue Pie for the first time is debatable, but some people believe that the Pie originated in Victorian England, where it was sometimes known as Lemon Chester Pudding. In fact, Lemon Chester Pudding is considered to be one of the desserts that introduced many people the world over to the British desserts in general.
Other people tend to attribute the creation of the Lemon Meringue Pie to a Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow, the proprietress of a Pastry Shop in Philadelphia who also ran the first cooking school in America. Although the idea for a Fluffy Topping made from Sweetened and flavored Egg Whites goes back a couple hundred years prior to this, the concept of adding Meringue to the top of a Lemon Custard Pie was a decidedly a 19th Century invention.
The first mention of Lemon Meringue Pie was in a Cookbook in 1869 but often, during that time, these Custard Pies were also referred to as “Lemon Cream Pie”.
How to Celebrate Lemon Meringue Pie Day
Celebrating this day can be simply a matter of eating Lemon Meringue Pie! Or you could try out these ideas for ways to celebrate:
Enjoy Lemon Meringue Pie with friends and family.
The best way to celebrate Lemon Meringue Pie Die is to google “Lemon Meringue Pie” and spend hours drooling over pictures of it… Nope, just kidding. There is obviously no way to enjoy this day more than to have Lemon Meringue Pie.
GO grab a Lemon Meringue Pie from the bakery and take the Pie to work to share slices around the office. Or have a little family gathering where the honored guest is a Lemon Meringue Pie. Whether enjoyed alone or with others, a slice of this Pie is the perfect way to celebrate the day.
Learn Some Fun Facts About Lemon Meringue Pie
Impress friends, family members and coworkers with facts and trivia about this Pie and the Fruit that makes it possible:
The invention of Lemon Custard is usually attributed to the Quakers in the late 1700s (some years prior to the invention of the Lemon Meringue Pie).
Lemons are Citrus Fruits that grow on trees in warmer climates, bearing Fruit all year round. Each lemon tree can typically produce somewhere around 500 to 600 lemons every year!
Lemons were likely cultivated as long ago as the first century, A.D., beginning in the Mediterranean area.
The high Vitamin C content of Lemons can be preventative for a disease called Scurvy, often prevalent in Sailors. Even today the British Navy makes sure to carry enough Lemons on board their ships for each sailor to have one ounce of fresh Lemon juice per day.
Bake A Lemon Meringue Pie instead of settling for the sugary, Store-bought version of this Pie. For those who like to cook or are up for a little challenge, try making the Pie in the kitchen at home! The Lemon Custard is not particularly difficult to make, with the most important ingredient being grated Lemon Zest. And the trick to making a good Meringue is using well-beaten Egg Whites.
Five facts about Lemons
- Lemon Trees bloom and produce Fruit year-round. Each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of Lemons in a year.
- Add the juice of one Lemon to an equal amount of Hot Water for an anti-bacterial gargle.
- Food Historians say Lemons have been in cultivation around the Mediterranean from as early as the first century A.D.
- High in vitamin C, Lemons prevent scurvy, a disease that causes Bleeding Gums, Loose Teeth and Aching Joints. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough Lemons so that every Sailor can have one ounce of Juice a day.
- California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U.S. Lemon Crop.
An American cooking teacher, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art … Wikipedia
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1: A Cookbook
For over fifty years, this New York Times bestseller has been the definitive cookbook on French cuisine for American readers. It deserves a place of honor in every kitchen.
Featuring 524 delicious recipes and over 100 instructive illustrations to guide readers every step of the way, Mastering the Art of French Cooking offers something for everyone, from seasoned experts to beginners who love good food and long to reproduce the savory delights of French cuisine.
Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle break down the classic foods of France into a logical sequence of themes and variations rather than presenting an endless and diffuse catalogue of dishes—from historic Gallic masterpieces to the seemingly artless perfection of a dish of spring-green peas. Throughout, the focus is on key recipes that form the backbone of French cookery and lend themselves to an infinite number of elaborations—bound to increase anyone’s culinary repertoire.
Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Pie Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose Flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons cold Vegetable Shortening
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine Salt
1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
6 tablespoons very cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 6 tablespoons Ice Water
Filling:
1 cup Sugar
5 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine Salt
1/2 cup fresh Lemon Juice plus 2 teaspoons gently packed Lemon Zest
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
Meringue:
5 large Egg Whites
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Pinch fine Salt
1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
Directions
- For the pie crust: Pulse the Flour, Shortening, Sugar, Salt and Vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the Butter and pulse until you can still see large Pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons Ice Water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn’t hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons Ice Water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
- For the filling: Whisk together the Sugar, Cornstarch and Salt in a medium saucepan. Add the Lemon Juice and 1 1/2 cups Water and whisk to combine. Whisk the Egg Yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the Sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the Eggs Yolks by slowly adding half of the hot Sugar mixture to the Yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered Yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the Butter and Lemon Zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook’s Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
- For the Meringue: Add the Egg Whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the Sugar, Cream of Tartar and Salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering Water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the Water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the Sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the Vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the Meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the Meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Create swirls and peaks in the Meringue. Toast the Meringue in the oven on broil until golden brown, keeping an eye on the Meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.
Cook’s Note
When measuring Flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess Flour. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the Flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) If the filling has scrambled a bit, or looks as if it is not smooth, strain the mixture directly into the Pie Crust to remove any solid bits.
Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame and prolonged exposure to Sunlight. They should be used only in well-ventilated areas. Follow torch manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
