My grandmother baked pies.  In fact, she baked three pies the day before she passed away, which also happened to be three days after she turned 100!  In those 100 years of life she had many ups and downs, but through it all she allowed God to direct her path.  She leaned on Him when she didn’t understand things and looked to Him for guidance daily.  I wish I could sit with her today with a piece of this lemon pie and have her share all she learned about staying on track and ending her life well!  Although she baked many types of pies, this one way my favorite!

Total Time 40 min.     Yields 8-10 servings*

*For an easy metric conversion chart, search the Internet for “metric kitchen.”

What You’ll Need for Granny’s Lemon Pie:

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

PIE FILLING
• 1 1/3 cup (1 full can) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup lemon juice

MERINGUE TOPPING

• 4 room-temperature egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup sugar

What You’ll Do to Make Granny’s Lemon Pie:

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix until well blended.
3. Press the crust mixture along the bottom and sides of an 8″ pie pan.
4. Bake for 12 minutes; cool on wire rack.

LEMON FILLING

1. Beat egg yolks.
2. Set mixer on low and stir in sweetened condensed milk.
3. Gradually add lemon juice until well blended.
4. Pour into cooled crust.

MERINGUE TOPPING

1. Separate the eggs and place the whites in a large bowl. Let the egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Add cream of tartar and vanilla.
3. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. (At this point, they will curl over when you lift the beaters.)
4. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on high speed.
5. Continue beating on high speed until the sugar dissolves and stiff, glossy peaks form. When you lift the beaters, the tips will stand straight up.
6. Quickly spread the meringue over the pie filling. Spread the meringue to the edge of the crust to seal it and prevent it from shrinking when it bakes.
7. Using a spoon, curl and twist the meringue to form peaks.
8. Bake the pie until the meringue is delicately browned.
9. Allow to cool before serving.