Lemon Meringue Pie

Crust:
In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together. Add that to the flour-butter mixture in the processor and pulse until the mixture begins to pull together, adding more ice water by the teaspoon if it is dry. Turn the dough out onto the counter, and gather it into a ball. Flatten it slightly into a disk about ¾-inch thick, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Roll the dough out to a 13-inch circle (you can do this on a floured countertop, or I like to do it between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap – you can then lift the bottom piece of parchment or plastic with the dough on top of it, flip it into the pie plate, and peel the paper/plastic off the top). Transfer the dough to a 10-inch diameter pie pan, fold any extra crust over the sides and crimp all along the edges. Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, 20 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake another 30 minutes, until the crust is golden all over. Cool completely. 

Lemon Curd Filling:
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks, eggs, lemon juice, and salt. Over medium heat, whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the butter and continue whisking until the curd is smooth. Cool for 10 minutes, then pour the warm filling into the crust. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the pie, touching the filling, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Italian Meringue:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar and water together so it is the consistency of wet sand. Without stirring, cook until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees. You may need to swirl the pan once or twice to fully dissolve the sugar. 

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form; do not overbeat. 

When the sugar is ready, pour it into a heat-proof container to stop the cooking (I use a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup). With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle the hot sugar into the egg whites. Once you have added all of the sugar, turn the mixer to high and whip the meringue until it is stiff, glossy, and has cooled.

When you are ready to serve the pie, preheat the broiler. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the filling. Use a spoon to mound the meringue on top of the pie, making whirls with the back of the spoon. Place the pie under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely to be sure just the tops of the meringue whirls have browned. You can serve the pie right away or put it back in the refrigerator to serve later.