This is a recipe that I only make for Pesach and I don’t know why, because it’s so delish. Maybe it’s the extra steps like double boilers and egg separating that puts me off when I’m cooking for our usual Ohr Chadash hordes. However, this year I’m super motivated to make a few of these Lemon Meringue Pies because we have our first real crop of homegrown organic lemons. We’ve tried to grow them before but as we say in Yiddish “geit nisht” loosely translated – “it just doesn’t go”. The trees either got attacked by flighty aphids or persistent voles – mole cousins, or funky weather. But this year it’s a Bumper Crop! So enjoy preparing a yummy pie and be sure to come over for some tea and leftovers after the Seder. PS This recipe is greatly improved by grandchildren helping to squeeze out every drop of juice and practicing the chanting of the “Mah Nishtana” in the kitchen while it bakes.
Prepare a pie crust with 1-1/2 C ground nuts (optionally substitute ½ C matzo meal) a pinch of salt, another pinch or cinnamon, 1/3 C walnut or other oil and enough ice water to make a dough that can be pressed into a pie pan.
Slowly cook in a double boiler 7/8 C sugar with 3 whole eggs 1/3 C lemon juice 1T lemon peel grated until the mixture coats a spoon then pour into the pie crust and bake till bubbly about 30 minutes at 350
Whil
e baking prepare meringue by whipping 3 egg whites with ¼ C sugar until stiff but not dry peaks form. Heap onto baked crust and filling and bake another 10 minutes till meringue is brown on top and have a “Zissen Pesach” as my mom of blessed memory would always say in Mama Lushen, Yiddish for Mother Tongue. PS I’m the big sister in this homey picture.
