Lemon Pie Recipes

Lemon pie can be found in many forms, but nearly every variety shares a refreshing tartness. Seemingly less indulgent than chocolate desserts or rich puddings, lemon pie provides a brisk pleasure with its blend of tart and sweet.

So, what kinds of lemon pie are there?

Lemon Meringue Pie

The classic lemon meringue pie is a lemon pudding tucked into a standard pie crust and topped with a frothy meringue. In a lemon meringue pie, a pie pan is lined with crust pastry, then baked. The filling is usually prepared on the stovetop, and contains egg yolks, lemon juice and thickeners such as flour or corn starch. Once it is poured into the completed crust, it is topped with slightly sweetened egg whites that have been whipped until they form lovely stiff peaks. It is popped in the oven long enough to give the meringue its lovely golden finish, and then chilled to set the lemon filling. Heaven.

Lemon Chiffon

Lemon chiffon pie uses gelatin as a thickening agent. This generally gives it a lighter, fluffier consistency than that found in a lemon meringue pie. The custardy filling of lemon chiffon also uses eggs and is cooked on the stove, but it is often paired with a graham cracker crust.

More Lemon Pies

Lemon pies don't just stop with meringues and chiffons. Lemon chess pies are popular in the Southern United States and use a very sweet baked lemon filling. Frozen lemon pies and sour cream lemon pies are popular summer time treats. Cooked lemon cream pies use a pudding base with lemon, uncooked lemon cream pies use whipped cream or other cold thickeners. While most lemon pies use lemon juice, others use lemon zest or rind. The lemon flavoring can be punched up even more by using lemon extract.

The biggest debate with lemon pie is just how sweet to make it. Some people prefer it with no bite while others maintain it isn't a proper lemon pie if it doesn't make you pucker!