Flavors of my Childhood: Lemon Curd Meringue Pie

I grew up having lemon curd meringue pie. The one they make at La Danubio, one of the best pastry and coffee shops in Caracas, my home town.

At La Danubio, you can have it in individual portions or buy the whole pie to go. No matter the size I treasure the flavor as you treasure something precious from your childhood.

I used to crave this pie while pregnant with my first son Andrés Ignacio (10) and now he likes to say that I passed it to him because he craves lemon curd meringue pie every other day.

So, now that our Meyer lemon tree is in its peak, I made this pie for my lemon curd meringue pie killer. I found the curd recipe in the book Pies and Pastries, edited by Time Life, and I merely adapted. The curd is richer than the curd at La Danubio.

The crust is my unbeatable pie crust, so easy to make that I’m getting worried about having too many pies lately.

I hope you like this recipe!

Lemon Curd Meringue Pie │Ingredients for 8 portions
1 pie dough recipe
3 whole eggs, plus 3 egg whites for the meringue
1 cup of sugar, plus ¼ of cup for the meringue
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
6 Tbs. of butter
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel

Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a floured surface, roll the dough with a dusted roller, until ¼ inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish and slightly press the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the edges and form a rim, decorating either with fingers or a fork. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the pie shell to a wire rack. Take away the pie weights (or discard the dried beans). Let the crust completely cool down.

In the meantime, in a glass bowl beat the 3 whole eggs with the sugar. Stir in the lemon juice and add the butter. Place the bowl in a pot with hot water and cook on medium to high heat, stirring steadily, until it is thickened and coats the spoon. Stir in the lemon peel and let the curd completely cool down.
Once both the pie shell and the lemon curd are cold, pour the filling into the pie shell.

To make the meringue, in a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the 3 egg whites until peaks form, then beat the sugar in, one tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the mixture is stiff but not dry. Spread the meringue on top of the lemon curd and make sure the meringue touches the crust all around.

Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue is delicately browned.

To print the recipe click here.
To print the recipe of the pie dough, click here.