Lemon Meringue Pie

Round one

During my trip to North Carolina last week, someone in the family casually mentioned that “everyone has a go-to recipe.” My anxious, anal-retentive brain immediately searched the archives to discover what my go-to recipe might be, but I came up blank until I realized I was staring the answer right in its lemony face.

Billowy, marshmallowy toppping

Lemon meringue pie is the first pie that I ever baked from scratch since it has always been the most-demanded pie at all of our family functions—this pie is probably more often at my parents’ dinner table than I am. This Thanksgiving, my mom shuffled (grudgingly) down the stairs at 7:00 a.m. to double check “one last thing” for me as I prepared the meringue, and she couldn’t help but protest that she was mad not to be getting a lemon meringue pie in San Diego that day. And now, everyone might be a little screwed since my sister didn’t get one in Pittsburgh, and the pie was the easy favorite at my new other family’s Thanksgiving, but they might not get one next year. The good news for me (and soon to be you) though, is that having this pie recipe up my sleeve means I have a portable tradition—no matter where I am for what holiday, this pie always represents good food and good family.


Recipe and a photo after the jump!

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

Hello, domed top!

Sometimes I’m unsure of whether I dislike DC or whether I love it, or maybe it’s my routine that bums me out, or being far away from my family (and Mexican food) that gets me down, but no matter what, autumn has provoked significant moments of emotional flux for me. Talks of moving to Pittsburgh to make my future grow some chest hair (or wings, or whatever) coupled with the oft mind-melting experiences of a working lady who misses art and, well, a sister can get to feelin’ pretty low.

And not to insist that edible fruit is the panacea I have suggested it is before, but, BUT! apple-picking did help my blues. Granted, it reenergized my persistent desire start a business and dig my heels into some dirt, but it also helped me focus on this zen thing I have been trying. This thing where I try to concentrate only on the present moment, such as that during which I eat a proper pie. Truly, this cheddar-encrusted apple pie will kick the self-sorry blahs right out of you, at least for the few minutes it takes you to eat a slice. Nothing says “focus on the present” quite like a farm-to-belly baked good.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
Cobbled together from an assortment of many recipes available online

Crust
2½ cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar, preferably white, shredded (comes out to about 2½ cups)
1 stick very cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup very cold, non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces (we used Spectrum brand)
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon milk, for brushing top crust

Fillin'
7 medium-sized apples (we used a combination of braeburn and suncrisp), peeled and cored, cut into quarter-inch slices
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Make le crust by adding all the dry ingredients together and cutting the fat in with your fingers or a set of knives or a pastry blender. Keep doing that until it's coarse with clumps, add the cold water one or two tablespoons at a time until the dough comes together, press it into flat discs, refrigerate for an hour.

2. Preheat the oven the 450, heat up a cookie sheet lined with foil in there while you're preparing the pie. Put the apple slices in a bowl (keep them from getting yellow beforehand by soaking in ice water), and add all of those ingredients, save for the butter. Mix. Roll out yer bottom pie crust (you might want to use a deep-dish tin if you have one), put it in there, add the apples and make a big dome, slice up the remaining tablespoon of butter and put that on top, roll out the top crust and lay it over, tuck the edges, crimp 'em, cut steam vents in the top, brush some milk on, throw it in the oven on the cookie sheet.

3. Cook for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and cook for another 40. Check on the crust. If it's starting to burn a little or getting too brown, cover the whole pie top in aluminum foil. Ideally, let it cool for two to three hours, but this is hard if not impossible. Good with ice cream, coffee, and a set of curable blues. Joey helps.