Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 43.

This pie reminded me of the one my mother used to make. The filling is tart and although to me is has a somewhat chemical taste, I'm thinking this is quite normal as they all have that flavor. The jury is still out on that...

The trickiest aspect of lemon meringue pie is the meringue. It often separates from the side of the crust. Parts of mine did as well. Maida instructs that you be sure that the meringue touches all sides but even that doesn't assure it won't happen. The dreaded part for me is always the beaded moisture that often appears on top of the meringue. I remember my mother's pies did this sometimes. Maida mentions this and says that it is caused from cooling the pie in drafty areas. She suggests putting it in the dish cabinet. So, I did -

I think it worked because I didn't notice any moisture droplets. Hooray for that!

This pie is fairly easy to make and it doesn't take that long if you have all of your ingredients lined up. There is minimal stirring but you do have to be fast once you start the filling.

For the crust, I used my go-to recipe. You can, of course, use Maida's pie crust recipe or purchase a ready-baked one. Many recipes call for a cookie crumb type crust and I think that would be a nice option.

This recipe makes 1 9" pie. 

1 9-inch baked pie crust (she recommends her pie crust recipe here but you can use any crust you prefer, even a purchased one)

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

Meringue

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400.

Combine the lemon zest and juice. Set aside. 
Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and also set aside.

In a heavy saucepan (at least 2-quart size), combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Gradually add the water and stir with a rubber spatula. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to stir for 1 1/2 minutes. The filling will become very thick and develops an opaque appearance.

Add the butter.

 Stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add a little of the hot mixture to the bowl of eggs and mix well. Add more until the egg mixture is hot.

Now add the egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Stir well.

Mix in the lemon juice.

Bring the pot to a boil again and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and proceed to the meringue.

To make the meringue, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the mixer speed and add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, beating 20 seconds between additions. Increase the speed to high and mix until stiff peaks form.

Apply the meringue while the filling is still warm. Use a spoon and make sure the meringue touches all sides of the crust. Do an upward sweep with the spoon to form peaks.

Bake for 7-9 minutes until the meringue is slightly browned. Let the pie cool in a draft-free area (she recommends the dish cabinet). Refrigerate after cooling.

Wienerstube Cookies

Wienerstube Cookies  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 166.

These are Austrian cookies, very dark in color, with a sandy, rich chocolate flavor that is enhanced by spices. The black pepper as well as the cayenne really gives them a kick. They are one of those cookies that you might not think much of after eating one but you find yourself going back for more...

I could not find many references to this cookie online nor could I find a translation of the word. Maida only gives a one-sentence introduction. 

These are very easy to make and you can bake them all at once after the dough has frozen or make only partial portions as you like. 

1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. finely ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch process)
6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

This recipe makes 48 cookies.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne and cocoa. Set aside.

Cream the butter. Add the vanilla...

and the sugar. Mix well.

Mix in the egg.

Add the sifted dry ingredients a little at a time until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as well as the mixer paddle.

Cut a piece of wax paper about 16 inches long. Place the dough by pieces down the center and form it into an oblong strip about 12 inches long by 2-3 inches wide. Using the wax paper to form the dough works well for this.

Once the dough is formed, wrap it securely in the wax paper and put it in the freezer. Leave it for several hours or you can use it days or even weeks later. When ready to bake, slice it thinly and place on cookie sheets 1" apart. Bake for 10 -12 minutes at 375. They are done when the tops spring back. Do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Nut Icebox Cookies

Chocolate Nut Icebox Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 124.

Another icebox cookie, this one chocolaty and nutty. Like the previous cookie, these are thin, crisp and keep well in an airtight container. 

This recipe makes 75 to 100 cookies. Of course, you can keep the dough frozen and make as many as you want at a time and keep the unused dough in the freezer.  It will be good for months.

The dough should be frozen solid before slicing. I made these up and it was five days later before I baked some. 

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. (1 stick) sweet butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped 
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter. Add the vanilla and brown sugar. Mix well.

Add the egg and beat until smooth.

Gradually add the cocoa on low speed and then add the flour mixture.

Stir in the nuts and coconut.

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured board (I think you could actually just go ahead and put it on the wax paper that you are going to wrap it in. It is not a sticky dough.) Form the dough into a ball, then shape it into a long roll, about 14 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches in diameter.

Wrap in wax paper (I also double wrap with plastic wrap if it is to stay in the freezer for a long time). Freeze the dough for several hours or longer.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with foil.

Slice the dough with a serrated knife into 1/8 inch slices. Place them 1 inch apart on the foil.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are semi-firm. Do not let them burn.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.