Lemon Meringue Pie

In Africa, our front porch was always a place for a cup of tea and we served pie almost daily. In the afternoon, Dad would come home for a cup of tea and maybe a chat with a friend who had dropped in from the city. It seemed that one year I made this pie at least once a week. Lemon zest—the outermost yellow part of the peel—contains flavorful oils which add depth to the filling. When cooled, it is easy to cut into the meringue with a knife, heated in warm water and wiped completely dry.

Graham Crust

    1 ⅓ cups graham cracker crumbs
    ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Lemon Filling

    1 can low-fat sweetened condensed milk
    ½ cup fresh lemon juice
    1 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
    2 large egg yolks

Meringue Topping

    2 large egg whites
    Pinch cream of tartar
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.

2.  Crust: In a medium bowl, mix crumbs and butter. Press        | 
      firmly into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes.

3.  Filling: In a medium bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk,
     lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks, then pour into crust.

4.  Meringue: In a deep medium bowl, use mixer to beat egg     
     whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and sugar;
     beat until whites stand straight up when beaters are lifted.

5.  Top pie with meringue using the back of a dessert spoon.        
     Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, then cool.
     Refrigerate until serving time.

     Makes 8 slices