My quest in getting away from prepared foods - Lemon Meringue Pie

Most of you know that my mission is to stay as true to whole food eating as possible. It is something that I am passionate about - probably to a fault. I hate to buy things that I can make from scratch at home and if I am honest, this has turned me into a HUGE food snob. I know my friends make allowances for my craziness which makes me happy. I also try to remember that not everyone shares my passion about wholesome, chemically untreated food.

In any case, in my desire to get away from "boxed" items led me to this recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. Up until this year, I've always bought the boxed mix for the lemon custard filling. I wish I had found this recipe sooner because in all honesty, I have NEVER tasted a better Lemon Meringue than this. The filling was tart, but not in a fake way. The balance was absolutely perfect. I was planning on taking this pie home with me from my in-laws, but there was none left. I guess that speaks for itself.

As always, I modified the recipe to fit my needs and without further adieu, here it is:

Lemon Meringue Pie ala Di

1 c. sugar
6 T. non-GMO cornstarch
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
grated rind from two medium sized lemons
2/3 c. fresh lemon juice* (4-5 lemons)
pinch of salt
2 1/4 c. boiling water
2 T unsalted butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix and add to slightly beaten egg yolks. Add grated lemon rind and juice, add boiling water. Mix well, then cook in saucepan stirring constantly over med. heat until thick and clear. (Like a typical cornstarch pudding, it is best to get to a boiling point being very careful not to let the bottom burn.) Add butter, stir, cool slightly. Stir again and turn into a pre-baked pie shell. Top with meringue.

*You can use a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the concentrate found in a bottle, but don't use all concentrate. The freshly squeezed juice really makes the filling.

Meringue

3 egg whites, room temp
2 T cold water
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
6 T sugar
pinch of salt

In a med. mixing bowl add egg whites, water, lemon juice, baking powder and salt. Beat until stiff peaks form and then add sugar gradually. Pile onto pie making sure to cover all the way to crust edge. Bake at 425 for a few minutes. Watch carefully as not to over-brown the top.