There’s nothing quite like a lemon cream pie to satisfy a sweet tooth. The combination of tart, sweet and creamy lemon filling, nestled inside a buttery crust, is simply irresistible! And when you top it off with a fluffy strawberry meringue, it becomes a show-stopper dessert!
Lemon cream pies are sweeter and less tart than lemon meringue pies, which are typically filled with mouth-puckering lemon curd. In this recipe, we will use a pâte sucrée crust, a French pastry dough that is rich, buttery and pairs perfectly with the lemon cream filling. The strawberry meringue will add sweetness and a beautiful pink color, making it a delightful dessert that is a feast for the stomach as well as the eyes.
INGREDIENTS:
- Sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Lemons
- Eggs
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Freeze Dried Strawberries
- Cream of Tartar
TO MAKE THIS LEMON CREAM PIE WITH STRAWBERRY MERINGUE:
Pâte sucrée
Pâte sucrée has a rich buttery flavor and a crisp crumbly texture. It is easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients and a food processor.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and a good pinch of salt until well combined.
- Add 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- With the machine running, add 3 tablespoons of cold water and process until the dough starts to come together in a ball. You may need to add a little more water if the dough is too dry or a little more flour if it is too sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk about 5″ in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour or up to two days.
- When you are ready to use the dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8″. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, trimming the excess dough leaving about 1/2″ to fold under to allow for shaping the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
- Cover the dough with foil. Fill foil with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until dough is set and starting to lightly brown. Remove from oven. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before filling it with filling.
- Drop oven temperature to 325°F to prep for baking filling.
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and 4 egg yolks until well combined. (Save the egg whites and put aside for the meringue.)
- Add the lemon juice and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. If edges of pie crust are browning too fast, cover them with foil.
- Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Strawberry meringue
- Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. You should have around 1/2 cup. Place powder in a medium saucepan.
- Add sugar to saucepan with strawberries.
- Add water to saucepan with strawberries and sugar.
- Place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring.
- Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F on an instant read thermometer. (My photo shows 236.1 only because I had to remove the syrup off the heat quickly at 240° and didn’t have time for a pic.)
- Meanwhile, combine reserved egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
- Mix on medium speed until soft peaks form. This will take around 2 minutes. Look for gentle peaks that slowly collapse into themselves when whisk attachment is lifted.
- With mixer running on medium low, very slowly and carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the bowl. Hot sugar is like molten lava. Be very careful when working with it!
- Once all the syrup is added, increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue should hold its shape and not collapse on the whisk attachment.
Assemble the lemon cream pie with strawberry meringue.
- Spoon the meringue atop of the chilled lemon cream pie creating a high dome. Use an offset spatula to shape the meringue giving it fluffy waves. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes: The strawberry meringue can be eaten as is. The sugar syrup “cooks” the egg whites so that no further cooking is needed. However, you can use a kitchen torch to brown the top should you desire.
Lemon Cream Pie with Strawberry Meringue
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Food Processor
- Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
Pâte Sucrée
- 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Scant Cup Granulated Sugar
- 9 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- 2 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 6 Lemons Juiced
Strawberry Meringue
- 28 Grams Freeze Dried Strawberries
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 4 Large Egg Whites room temp
- 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Instructions
Pâte Sucrée
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and a good pinch of salt until well combined.
- Add 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- With the machine running, add 3 tablespoons of cold water and process until the dough starts to come together in a ball. You may need to add a little more water if the dough is too dry or a little more flour if it is too sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk about 5" in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour or up to two days.
- When you are ready to use the dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8". Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, trimming the excess dough leaving about 1/2" to fold under to allow for shaping the edges.
- Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking. Cover the dough with foil. Fill foil with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until dough is set and starting to lightly brown. Remove from oven. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before filling it with filling.
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and 4 egg yolks until well combined. (Save the egg whites and put aside for the meringue.)
- Add the lemon juice and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour the filling into the prepared pie dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. If edges of pie crust are browning too fast, cover them with foil.
- Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Strawberry Meringue
- Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. You should have around 1/2 cup. Place powder in a medium saucepan.
- Add sugar and water to saucepan with strawberries.
- Place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Meanwhile, combine reserved egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until soft peaks form. This will take around 2 minutes. Look for gentle peaks that slowly collapse into themselves when whisk attachment is lifted.
- With mixer running on medium-low, very slowly and carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the bowl. Hot sugar is like molten lava. Be very careful when working with it! Once all the syrup is added, increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue should hold its shape and not collapse on the whisk attachment.
- Spoon the meringue atop of the chilled lemon cream pie creating a high dome. Use an offset spatula to shape the meringue giving it fluffy waves. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
THE STORY:
This recipe for Lemon Cream Pie with Strawberry Meringue was created after a spending an afternoon at the farm picking the ripest, juiciest strawberries we could find. My kids and I couldn’t get enough of those berries…..eating them while standing in the field the berries still warm from the sun. We loved those berries so much we ended up picking pounds and pounds of them. We made homemade strawberry milk, strawberry jam, strawberry shortcake and this lemon cream pie served with those fresh berries! It became a yearly tradition to visit the farm for strawberry picking. We look forward to it every season!
FAQ:
Yes, lemon cream pie should be refrigerated. To prevent food borne illness, do not leave out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
No, lemon cream pie is sweeter and less tart than lemon meringue pie.
Yes, lemon cream pie will thicken a bit as it cools which is why you should remove the pie from the oven when center is still slightly jiggly.
Lastly, if you make this Lemon Cream Pie with Strawberry Meringue, be sure to leave a comment! I love to hear from you guys and will do my best to respond to each and every one! And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on social media! I love to see all your creations!
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