Lemon Angel Pie

This is an old-fashioned recipe with Southern roots, dating back to days when home cooks who kept chickens might have more eggs than flour for baking. Rather than baked pastry, this naturally gluten-free pie shell is made of meringue that’s crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside. The meringue requires several egg whites, which leaves us the yolks we need for the bright, buttery lemon curd filling. The pie’s topped with billows of whipped cream and, if you wish, fresh berries. 

All in all, a lemon angel pie is rather like an upside-down lemon meringue pie, or as some might say, a pavlova in a pie plate. No one is sure where this pie got its angelic name. Some says it’s because the meringue shell is as light as angel wings, while others suggest it’s because this dessert is heavenly. I don’t disagree. 

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

For the lemon curd:

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 10 tablespoons salted butter, cut into chunks and chilled

For the meringue pie shell: 

• Butter and cornstarch for the dish
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the whipped cream & berries:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh raspberries and/or blackberries (optional)

Directions

For the lemon curd:

Place a mesh sieve over a medium-size heavy saucepan. (If you don’t have a heavy pan, use a double boiler to protect the eggs from direct heat.) Use a spatula to push the yolks though the sieve, removing any clinging bits of egg white. Scrape the bottom of the sieve to remove as much yolk as possible. Rinse and dry the sieve; you’ll need it again. 

Whisking continuously, gradually add the sugar. Whisk in the juice and zest. Drop in the cold butter. 

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and beginning to form small bubbles just around the edge of the pan, about 8 minutes. 

Strain through the mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. (You can make the curd up to 4 days ahead. Store covered and refrigerated.)

For the pie shell:

Heat the oven to 275°F. Butter a glass or ceramic 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate and dust it with cornstarch. (A metal pie tin isn’t the best choice here.) 

Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) on low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high, and add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. 

Scrape the meringue into the prepared pie plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it across the bottom, up the sides and on the lip of the plate to form a pie shell. 

Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the pie shell in the oven until cool, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. Let sit on a wire rack until needed. (You can make the pie shell up to 3 days in advance. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.)

For the whipped cream:

Beat together the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form.

To assemble the pie: 

Spread the chilled lemon curd into the cooled meringue pie shell. Spread whipped cream over the curd. Top with berries, if using. 

You can serve the pie now, but it will be a little messy. To get tidier slices, refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours and up to overnight before serving. It helps to use a sharp knife dipped into hot water and dried between cuts. (If, despite best efforts, the pie falls apart when you try to cut it, just scoop it into bowls. It will taste delicious.)

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.