Even for citrus lovers who luckily partake in lemon shortbread cookies or fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes, lemon meringue pie might be the piece de resistance. This fundamental creation consists of a pastry pie crust filled with zingy, pudding-like lemon curd, then topped with a pillowy meringue that’s browned to perfection, providing a deliciously creamy counterpoint to the tartness. Every slice is irresistible, so it’s strong to attend for a fresh-baked pie to relax — however it is a must-do for the dessert to be any good the least bit.

In an effort to completely experience the transcendence of this sunny pie, it’s important that or not it is cool throughout sooner than you dive in. Slicing into your lemon meringue whereas it’s warmth will result in a runny, liquid-y filling that hasn’t completely set, and might spill out in a soupy mess pretty than standing company and tall.

A reliable technique to tell do you have to’re throughout the clear is to the contact the underside of your pie pan (fastidiously, once you’re optimistic you’ll not risk a burn). Whether it is cool, attempt to be in good situation. That acknowledged, do you have to really want to ensure, give your dessert a minimal of six hours to relax on a wire rack (or an the incorrect approach up muffin tin, a tremendous straightforward swap when you should not have a cooling rack). This wait will offer you peace of ideas about your pie’s integrity.

Regarding cooling your lemon meringue pie, be cautious of shortcuts. Although you want your dessert to relax quickly, popping it throughout the fridge might trigger one different dilemma — a soggy state of affairs typically often called weeping. This occurs when droplets of moisture develop between the filling and meringue, and might be attributable to only a few parts, along with over-whipped egg whites, over-baked meringue, and fridge storage.

A method to help forestall weeping — even when you could put your pie throughout the fridge for later — is to pre-cook your meringue after which slather it on the fully-baked pie (you can on a regular basis use a torch or pop it beneath the broiler briefly to realize that crackly, toasty excessive). Alternatively, fastidiously place your pan on an excessive of an ice pack. This style, the lower layer of the pie (that lemony filling) will cool and alter into company, with out having to resort to the fridge.

Lemon meringue pie will in all probability be its best self on day one, nonetheless you can maintain it out on the counter for a number of day. After that, it is doable to refrigerate it and maintain it current for two or three additional days. For many who wind up with a number of of that pesky additional moisture on excessive, you can gently soak it up with a transparent paper towel. That acknowledged, as quickly as your persistence has been rewarded with a great slice, likelihood is you will not have to stress about any leftovers.