The BEST Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie

    Lemon Meringue is one of my favorite pies, that and banana cream.  My grandmother made THE best lemon meringue pie!  The meringue was high and fluffy like a cloud.  A few years ago when I was in Arizona I wanted to make a lemon meringue pie out of some of my father's lemons. 

So I looked up a recipe for lemon meringue pie on my computer.   I didn't have any gluten free flour at his house, so I just made the lemon pudding because it's  the closest filling to my grandmother's that I've come across. This recipe was on All Recipes.  It uses more lemon juice and less water, and that combination with the lemon zest and the right amount of sugar gives it the perfect tang.  

The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie

1.  Separate 4 eggs.  Put  4 egg whites into a separate glass bowl to be beaten later. They should sit out for at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Note:  Make sure your bowl is grease free.

2.  Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons and put the zest into a small dish.

3.  In a saucepan put:  

(1) 1 cup of white sugar, 2 T rice flour, 6 T tapioca starch, and 1/4 t salt. 
(2)   Gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups of hot water and whisk together to combine. Cook and stir over medium high until it starts to boil.
(3)  Then reduce the heat and cook about 8 minutes longer for a creamier filling my Better homes & Garden cookbook says.
(4)  Remove from the stove and take out 1 cup of hot mixture and whisk it with 4 egg yolks. Then gradually stir it back into the mixture in the pan.
(5)  Bring it back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly or until thickened.
(6)  Add 2 T of butter and stir in 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 large lemons) and the zest from these two lemons. The lemons pictured here gave me 1 cup of lemon juice. 
(7) Whisk together until well combined about 1 minute. 

(8)  Remove from heat and pour into prepared baked crust.  

4  To make a meringue:   (Note:  Try to time it so  the meringue is done a few minutes after the lemon filling is done so it is still hot when you put the meringue on top.)  Here is a great site with a lot of information about making meringue.

(1) Beat egg whites until foamy at medium speed.  
(2) Slowly add  1/4 t cream of tartar,   and gradually add 6 T of sugar one tablespoon at a time beating at high speed until peaks form about 2-4 minutes.  Add 1/2 t of vanilla and beat until blended.
(3)  My Southern Living Cookbook says that when the meringue is right it should look glossy and have sharp peaks. If you rub it between your fingers, it should feel smooth.
(4)  At this time, use a spatula and spread the meringue quickly over the surface of the pie, sealing it to the edges to keep the meringue from shrinking away from the crust while baking.

5. Bake lemon meringue pie at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

6.  Put the pie away from a draft on a wire rack to cool. Let lemon meringue pie cool several hours before serving  so the pie has time to set up. 

Other Gluten Free Baking & Desserts on This Blog:

Breads: 
Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread   (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Cakes:
Gluten Free German Apple Cake   (From my grandmother)
You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free Carrot Cake    (From my daughter's husband's grandma)
Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake   (From a church friend)
Judi's Gluten Free Orange Chiffon Cake       (From a church friend)
Marilyn's Spectacular Gluten Free Oatmeal Cake    (My mother-in-law's--she's a great cook!)
Delicious Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake     (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Grandma's Gluten Free Applesauce Cake  (From an Internet search tastes like my grandma's!)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake      (From my grandma)
Rosie's Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake    (From my daughter-in-law's family)

Cookies:
Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Mom's Go To For Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies     (From a church friend)
Mark's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made Gluten Free!    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies       (From a church friend)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother.  She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie  (From a church friend)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust  (Internet)

Desserts with Fruit:
Sensational Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake   (From the back of Costco's organic sugar)

Terrific Gluten Free Strawberry & Peach Trifle  (Modified from an Internet search)
My Favorite Gluten Free Strawberry Cheesecake   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Just Like Grandma's (But Only Gluten Free) Blueberry Cobbler (My husband's grandma)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies  (Modified from back of the Libby's can)
Incredible Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies  (From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie   (Modified from back of Libby's pumpkin can)
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake  (From back of cream cheese box)
Gluten Free Polish Fruitcake   (Modified from Internet search)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Muffins:

Banana Nutty Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Toni's Outrageous Gluten Free Corn Muffins  (From back of a Bob's Red Mill package)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

 Puddings & Ice Cream:  

Dairy Free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (And other ice cream favorites!)  (From searches)

Baked Coconut Pudding  (Something I worked out from my Aunt Sue's rice pudding recipe)
Tangy Lemon Pudding   (From Internet search)