Fast Microwave Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the liquid at the bottom of the lemon meringue pie? ›

What is the best way to prevent having liquid at the bottom of a lemon meringue pie? Don't over bake your meringue! Overbaking causes the egg whites to shrink and squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Always make sure to check on your pie at the minimum baking time.

The watery layer between the meringue and the filling (weeping) is usually caused by undercooking. This is where it is important to put your meringue onto hot filling so it can begin cooking right away.

If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.

For a lemon filling that's glossy and translucent, and firm enough to cut yet melts in your mouth, cornstarch is the thickener of choice. It's also a risky one because heat and acid (in the lemon juice) can destroy cornstarch's ability to thicken or stay thick.

Blind Bake

The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.

Cream of tartar is similar to both vinegar and lemon juice in its acidity, and each of them will work in its place, in a pinch.

For crunchy meringues, bake them for the longer time (about 2 hours). To test if they're done, pick one up; it should feel very light. Tap the bottom; it should feel hollow. Break one open; it should be dry.

If your meringue does weep, you can try to absorb some of the moisture by gently blotting it with a paper towel. This works especially well for removing beads of moisture on top of your meringue.

Allow your pie to bake for the entire recommended period.

People often pull their pie too soon out of fear that it will burn. This leads to runny pie because it prevents the filling from thickening. Check the recommended cooking time, and set a timer. Don't use the brownness of your pie crust to judge if it is done.

How long should meringue take to beat? ›

Beat until the meringue is very smooth, very glossy, and thick. This should take 3 to 6 minutes. If you're topping a pie, spoon, pipe, or slather the top of the still-warm pie filling with the meringue. Then bake the pie at 400 degrees until golden brown on top, about 6 minutes.

Water seeping from meringue is practically always coming from the egg whites. There are a few standard things you can do to reduce it. First, do not overbeat. For some reason, recipes love to direct people to beat egg whites "to stiff peaks".

Unfortunately "weeping" or "beading" meringue on a lemon meringue pie is quite common. As the meringue is not baked for long the sugar in the meringue absorbs moisture, turns into syrup and tends to leak, or weep, out of the meringue.

The longer the pie sits, the more moisture is inclined to accumulate. We recommend that you make it the day you plan to eat it. A homemade lemon meringue pie is becoming a rare treat. We're delighted you're still making them!

Meringue pies will ''weep'' water because of the interaction between the filling and the whipped meringue. If one or the other is overcooked, water beads will form and weep. Egg whites can also weep if they are over-beaten or are from old eggs. Refrigeration (unfortunately) speeds up the process of weeping—oops!

stiff peaks. beaten egg whites that stand up straight when beaters are lifted from the mixture. weep. when liquid accumulates between meringue and pie filling because meringue was spread on cool filling.

Probably not. Meringue is made with egg whites and egg whites should be cooked before they're eaten, even when mixed in meringue.

Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk the water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.