Lemon Meringue Pie

Alright Jenn, this one's for you...

A month or so ago our ladies church group had a pie night. It was a very tasty night. I took two pies, one of which was Lemon Meringue , one of my all time favorites. After making this one you may see why people always say "easy as pie!" Yeah it's an easy one...

Lemon Meringue Pie

9- inch baked pie shell

Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 TBS corn starch
1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 TBS butter
1/2 cup lemon juice from fresh lemon
zest of one lemon (about 1 TBS)
2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Prepare and bake pie shell.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2 quart sauce pan. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Gradually stir in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Stir into hot mixture in sauce pan. Boil on low 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and food coloring. Pour into pie shell.
Prepare meringue. Spoon onto hot filling. Spread over filling carefully sealing meringue to sides of pie crust to prevent shrinking or weeping. Bake 8-10 minutes or until meringue is delicate brown.(keep your eye on this part) Cool away from draft.

Meringue

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 TBS granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 TBS at a time until stiff and glossy. Do not over beat. Fold in vanilla