Lemon Meringue Pie- (With Unique Pie Crust!)

Crust-

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. (this can also be done in a food processor).

Add the butter and using a pastry blender, cut in the butter till butter is double the size of a pea. Add the shortening in and continue cutting the fat in till the dough resembles coarse cornmeal and butter pieces are no larger than a pea.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water over the dough and using a rubber spatula, press and fold the dough till it comes together into a ball. If needed add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. You don’t want the dough to be too wet.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on counter and sprinkle with flour and put the dough on top. Flatten dough quickly into roughly a 6 inch disk. Try prevent the edges from cracking. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of flour and then wrap tightly and place in fridge for 45 minutes.

Generously sprinkle counter with graham cracker crumbs and lay dough on top. Sprinkle a bit on top of dough and begin rolling to a larger disk. Ever few rolls, lift dough and re-dust with more graham cracker crumbs under and top of dough till you reach about a 12-13 inch disk roughly 1/8 of an inch thick.

Fold dough in half, then half again. Place dough point in the center of a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold to cover whole pan. Lift edges of dough and press into edges of the pie plate. Fold and overhanging dough under itself and crimp edges.

Prick dough with fork every ½-1 inch all around bottom and sides of dough. Loosely cover with foil or plastic wrap and place pie plate in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cover pie shell with parchment paper fill with pie weights (or dry rice or dry beans) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment paper, turn oven temperature down to 350 and continue baking for about 10 minutes till crust is golden brown.

Meringue-

Mix Cornstarch with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly till mixture is thick. Remove from heat and let cool while mixing egg whites.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Sprinkle cream of tartar over egg whites continue mixing till combined. Add in the sugar slowly while mixer is on and beat till soft peaks. Add corn starch mixture a spoonful at a time and mix till stiff peaks.

Set aside.

Heat oven to 325 F.

Filling-

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. As the mixture thickens, begin to mix to more. Once mixture is translucent and simmering, whisk in egg yolks, 1-2 at a time. Whisk in Lemon zest and lemon juice. After mixture is combined well, add in butter and whisk continually till mixture reaches a brisk simmer. Remove from heat.

Assembly-

Pour lemon filling into cooked pie shell while still hot. With a large spoon, dollop meringue on top starting close to the outside of the pie. End with dolloping in the center of the pie. If you start with dolloping meringue in the center of the pie, the meringue is likely to sink into the pie. Make sure to have the meringue touch the pie crust to prevent the meringue from shrinking. Using the back of a spoon, create peaks in the meringue. Bake till meringue is starting to brown, but not so long that the tips are burning. About 20-25 minutes

Remove pie from oven and let cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Serve.