Lusciously Sweet and Tart Lemon Merengue Pie

Luscious Lemon Merengue Pie

While I was contemplating what to do with a huge bag of lemons from SAM's Club, I realized I really wanted Lemon Merengue Pie. But not a quick mix or partial prepared recipe. I wanted a full on from scratch recipe. This has no canned sweetened condensed milk, no pre-packaged pie crust... This is the real deal. All from scratch. I read several recipes and this is what I came up with. My house smells so good.

This recipe is a combination of three recipes. One for the crust, one for the filling and the other for the merengue. This I think is the best Lemon Merengue Pie I've ever had... I'm a Texas girl who LOVE Lemon Merengue Pie. So, that's saying a lot about how delectable this pie is. The filling is not too sugary sweet or too tangy. It's the perfect blend of the two. It is nice and thick, perfect for slicing and perfect blend of merengue to filling ratio. Perfection in one bite. Don't take my word for it, make it and try it for yourself. I think you'll agree.

Ingredients:

Lemon Zest Pie Crust (makes 2 8" pie crusts)
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp lemon zest

Directions for Pie Crust:

Preheat oven to 425 Degree F.

Combine flour and salt. Sprinkle lemon zest into dry ingredients. Measure in measuring cup oil and milk without stirring. Add all at once to flour mixture and slightly until bleached with fork. Roll 1/2 of pastry to 1/8" thickness between two pieces of waxed paper to fit pie plate. Place in pie pan crimping edges. Place parchment paper over prepared pan and then pour dried beans or whole wheat on top of parchment paper. (This keeps the bottom crust from puffing out and keeps the shape of the crust while baking.) Bake in preheated oven for 12- 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove parchment paper and what ever you used to keep it held down. Set aside pie crust while you make the lemon filling and merengue.

Lemon Filling
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 yokes, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh from real lemons)

Directions for Filling:

• For filling, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Gradually stir in lemon juice just until combined. Pour into the crust.

(Filling part comes from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/classic-lemon-meringue-pie)

Merengue
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Directions for Merengue:

Preheat oven to 350 Degree F.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add in sugar, beat until stiff peaks. Spread merengue over filling in the prepared pie pan. Seal to the edge of crust bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Fruit Salad

Today I had a baby blessing to attend, and then a pot luck meal afterwards. I was asked to bring a fruit salad. I for some reason am a little intimidated by fruit salad. I worry about allergies, and putting the right combination of fruit together, so that everyone will like it. I am a people pleaser... or at least I try to be. I don't recall ever putting together my very own fruit salad, unless it was from the store and or a frozen fruit mixture thing. This today was done all by myself. I cut all the fruit that needed cutting or at least picked it all up from my local grocery store fresh the day before. I had my husband come with me to help me pick out yummy fruit. That was also one way that I could make sure he liked what was in it. Sometimes I do have ulterior motives for why I do things the way I do. With that being said. This was fairly easy to put together, I don't think I will ever use a store prepared one again. It was so fresh and delicious. I would have eaten the whole thing but I decided I would be patient incase there were any leftovers I could bring some home. I was glad I didn't eat it all there, I still had about half of the salad left and brought some home. Now mind you, this makes a TON of fruit salad. It might be good for freezing half of it for when you have several gatherings to go to, or just a HUGE neighborhood get together or family reunion to attend. Even a church pot luck this would be great, because it makes so much.

Ingredients:

2 clam shells black berries
2 clam shells blue berries
2 clam shells strawberries
1 cantaloupe
1/2 a seedless watermelon
7 nectarines
1 big bag of red or green grapes

Directions:

rinse all the black berries and blue berries, place in large bowl, then rinse and drain the strawberries cutting the green stems off and slicing, then adding to the bowl. Cut the cantaloupe and add to the big bowl, then cut the nectarines up and add to the bowl. Cut half of the watermelon up and add to the bowl. Rinse and remove stems from the grapes and add whole or cut to the salad. Toss with two spoons gently, but allow fruit to mix completely. Serve chilled or right away.

Verdict:
This makes a great summer snack for the kids, or even for a pot luck. The fruit was in season and so flavorful. I highly recommend using any fruit that is in season. It cuts the cost down and the flavors will be so tasty. After I was on my way to the pot luck, i realized that kiwi's would have been a yummy addition to this recipe as well. There is no added sugar or flavorings.

Pineapple, Cherry, Blueberry Dump Cake

Ok, tonight we are having a yummy dessert. When I lived in West Virginia a friend of mine would make dump cake. It took me a few tries to get the recipe to where my family would eat it. Here is my version of Dump Cake.

Ingredients:

1 cake mix (any flavor)

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup rolled quick oats

1 stick of butter/margarine

1 1/2 cup fresh/frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries)

1 can crushed pineapple

1 can cherry pie filling (any flavor pie filling will work)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. in a 13X9X2 pan dump the can of crushed pineapple and cherry pie filling in and mix. Then place evenly on top the fresh/frozen fruit.

Then open the cake mix, and sprinkle the entire DRY cake mix on top of the fruit mixture in the pan. Then lightly mix the cake mix into the fruit mixture, leaving a layer of dry cake mix on top.

Then sprinkle the coconut and oats on top. cut the butter into small pieces, and place in a single layer on top of the dry mixture.

Bake for 30 min. or until golden brown and bubbly.

This turns out to be like a cross between a fruit crisp and a fruit cobbler. It is so yummy. The last two times I've made this there have been no leftovers. Usually doesn't last more than two days in my house. I have used apple pie filling with frozen blueberries, and cherry pie filling with blueberries and strawberries sliced. Both were very tasty and so easy to make, no added oil, or eggs or water needed.