#Lemon meringue pie manual#

(Eventually I placed some aluminum foil around the edges as a shield). I had to bake it for almost an hour to get it to set, thus causing the crust to burn a little. Since the recipe does not call for cooking the mixture beforehand in order to develop a custardy texture, it was rather watery when I popped it in the oven. I followed the recipe directions, using a cup of sugar for the teacupful, and just regular milk for sweet milk (my research determined this is just a way to distinguish regular milk from sour milk, often used in baking for its acidic qualities). Also, it didnРІР‚в„ўt list any flour or cornstarch as a thickener, although I surmised this was the purpose of the egg yolks and lemon pulp. The first thing I noticed about this recipe is that it uses only two eggs, so I was a little skeptical that it would create the high layers we associate with lemon pie today. LEMON PIE РІР‚вЂњ Take one lemon, grate the rind, squeeze the juice and chop the pulp very fine a teacupful of sugar the yolks of two eggs beat well together, and add one cup of sweet milk bake immediately beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, with two tablespoonfuls of sugar spread on the pie when done, and put back in the oven to brown. I decided to try to replicate the two that included the meringue topping. Her diary features four different lemon pie recipes РІР‚вЂњ two with a meringue topping and two without РІР‚вЂњ although all are labeled simply РІР‚СљLemon Pie.РІР‚Сњ The recipes in Anna MaxwellРІР‚в„ўs journal perfectly illustrate the developments and changes that were happening to lemon pie in the latter part of the 19th century.

The flaky pastry crust holds it all together. The contrasting texture of a slightly crispy shell covering very sweet pillowy meringue balances the tart, thick, custardy lemon filling perfectly. But the most popular style eventually evolved into a pie of layers. One version that became a Southern specialty is lemon chess pie, kind of a fusion between pudding and cheesecake. Other lemon pie iterations emerged where lemons were sliced like in an apple pie, and sometimes a top crust was added. In fact, lemon custard pie was a favorite of Abraham Lincoln. Although sometimes called iced lemon pie, lemon cream pie, or lemon custard pie, they all featured a meringue topping.

#Lemon meringue pie manual#

In her 1847 cookbook, The LadyРІР‚в„ўs Receipt-Book: A Useful Companion for Large or Small Families, she says: РІР‚СљAny very nice baked pudding will be improved by covering the surface with a meringue.РІР‚СњР”В«y the 1860s, lemon meringue pie recipes began popping up in cookbooks nationwide, including Common Sense in The Household РІР‚вЂњ A Manual of Practical Housewifery by Marion Harland and The GodeyРІР‚в„ўs LadyРІР‚в„ўs Book Receipts and Household Hints by Sarah Annie Frost. GoodfellowРІР‚в„ўs tutelage) began familiarizing Americans with the concept of meringue-topped puddings via her recipes. Throughout the mid-19th century, domestic goddess Eliza Leslie (who had studied under Mrs. Perhaps the success of this combination prompted her to accent her lemon pudding with the same topping, and voilР“В РІР‚вЂњ lemon meringue pie was born! GoodfellowРІР‚в„ўs lemon custard recipe calls for the yolks of ten eggs rather than allowing the whites go to waste, she likely decided to resourcefully whip them with sugar to create a meringue for the top.

Although there are recipes for decorating cakes, tarts, and custards with sweetened and flavored egg whites starting in the 1600s, adding meringue to a pudding (pie) doesnРІР‚в„ўt appear until the nineteenth century. At some point she cleverly thought to top her famous pudding with fluffy meringue. GoodfellowРІР‚в„ўs signature desserts, a rich lemon pudding. This classic pie of contrasting sweet-tart layers evolved from one of Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow, a 19th century pastry shop proprietress who ran AmericaРІР‚в„ўs first cooking school. What many folks donРІР‚в„ўt know is that lemon meringue pie is actually a Philadelphia invention born out of the Victorian-era, courtesy of Mrs. Others may think of it as a Diner restaurant staple, a featured highlight in the revolving glass dessert case alongside other luscious treats such as cream puffs, Р“В©clairs and cheesecake. Lemon pie is often considered a Southern confection, conjuring up images of plantation parties with lovely slices of the sky-high pie served on fancy china.