Lemon Icebox Pie

I hope you guys are enjoying my blog. I love suggestions, so if you want me to find a great recipe for something, let me know! Every recipe on my blog is one that I've made and really liked. These recipes are the best of the best. Oh, and when I talk about castor sugar, that is just the regular sugar in America. In India, the normal sugar isn't as refined, meaning each piece of sugar is bigger. So castor sugar is just another name for finely ground sugar. That is what I use for baking. Now, onto our Lemon Icebox Pie...

Meringue is one of those love it or hate it things. Meringue is really easy to scrape off if you don't care for it. I really like it, but mom doesn't really care for it. So when I make a pie that calls for meringue, I make it. One such recipe that has meringue on it and is a very easy one is called Lemon Icebox Pie. It's called "Icebox" pie because it's served straight out of the refrigerator. Some people use freshly squeezed lemon juice, but it just creates an opportunity for pulp and seeds to make their way into our pie, and no one wants that. I made a Ritz cracker crust for this pie, but you could use a store-bought crust or a traditional flour and butter crust. The recipes for each component of the pie are as follows:

Ritz Cracker Crust

Yields: One 9 inch pie crust

1 1/2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons castor sugar 

1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius. Toss all of the ingredients with a fork until thoroughly mixed. Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake for about 10 minutes, until hard. Cool completely before using. 

Lemon Icebox Pie filling:

3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue) 

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 14 ounce/400 gram can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius. Combine milk and juice in a medium sized bowl, and then beat in egg yolks. Pour into a cooled crust and set aside. 

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter 

1/4 cup of castor sugar

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Then begin adding sugar in small amounts. Beat until stiff. Spread carefully and slowly on the filling. Seal to the edge of the crust. Bake the pie for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the meringue is lightly browned. After baking, let the pie cool, and then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until cold. 

I hope you enjoy the pie, and be sure to check back soon for recipes to create your very own Mediterranean feast!