Lemon Angel Pie is an old-fashioned recipe sometimes described as upside-down lemon meringue pie or a pavlova in a pie plate.
Rather than baked pastry, this naturally gluten-free pie shell is made of meringue that’s crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside, filled with bright, buttery lemon curd and topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. The meringue requires several egg whites, which leaves us the yolks we need for the bright, buttery lemon curd filling. I can’t think of a more delicious way to showcase egg whites and yolks.
No one is sure where this pie got its angelic name. Some say it’s because the meringue shell is as light as angel wings, while others suggest it’s because this dessert is heavenly. I don’t disagree.
Lemon Angel Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Makes: one 9-inch pie
Lemon Curd:
8 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
10 tablespoons salted butter, cut into chunks and chilled
Meringue Pie Shell:
Butter and cornstarch for the dish
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped Cream and Berries:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh raspberries and/or blackberries
See more: Sheri Castle’s Recipe for Country Ham Spread
Instructions
1. For the lemon curd: Whisk the yolks in a medium-size heavy saucepan or double boiler to protect the eggs from direct heat. Whisking continuously, gradually add the sugar. Whisk in the juice and zest. Drop in the butter.
2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and begin to bubble around the edge of the pan, about 8 minutes.
3. Strain through a mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
4. For the pie shell: Heat the oven to 275°F. Butter a glass or ceramic 9 ½-inch deep-dish pie plate and dust it with cornstarch.
5. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high, and add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
6. Scrape the meringue into the prepared pie plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it across the bottom, up the sides and on the lip of the plate to form a pie shell.
7. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the pie shell in the oven until cool, 1 to 1 ½ hours more.
8. To assemble, beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
9. Spread the chilled lemon curd into the cooled meringue pie shell. Top with whipped cream and berries. Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours and up to overnight before serving.
Sheri Castle is the host of The Key Ingredient, an Emmy Award-winning show from PBS North Carolina. She is also an award-winning food writer, recipe developer and cooking teacher. The Southern Foodways Alliance named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller. She grew up in Watauga County and now lives in Chatham County. Keep tabs on her at shericastle.com.
