Meyer Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

Chill Time: 1

Total Time: 2 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Emily

This Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie tastes as good as it looks. Three beautiful layers of sweet, tart and fluffy delicious pie!

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a basic pie crust dough ahead of time (or buy it) and make sure it is nice and cold before rolling out and placing in the pie pan. I used a regular 9-inch pie pan or you could use a deep tart pan.
Roll out the crust dough pretty thin and ensure it's big enough to fill your pan. Layout the crust over the pan and press it lightly into all sides. Cut off the excess dough so that you just have a nice flat side (no fancy crust decoration needed, trust me).
Place parchment paper and pie weights on top of the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking for 10-15 minutes longer until nice and brown. Remove and cool completely.

Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a saucepan and whisk together. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, and water and whisk together until nice and smooth. Turn on the heat to med-high and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and do not stop whisking! Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice and butter pieces until everything is melted and beautifully smooth.
Pour the lemon pudding into the cooled pie crust and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.

Place the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water into a saucepan. Turn on the heat to med-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and smash up the cranberries as you are stirring.
Pour the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and gently press through. Discard the solids and the liquid will become your gelee.
Pour the cranberry gelee over the chilled lemon pudding to make your next layer. Gently spread the gelee all the way to the edges using a spatula. Place the pie back into the fridge for at least another 30 minutes. You can let your pie set lightly covered overnight in the fridge and prepare the meringue the next day.

In the bowl from your mixer (or a metal or glass bowl if using a hand mixer), add the egg whites and sugar and whisk together. Place the bowl over a pan with boiling water, but make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, creating a double boiler effect. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the heat and place it in the mixer stand. Whisk on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high. Whisk until you have nice stiff peaks and the meringue is glossy. This takes about 7-8 minutes.
Place the meringue on top of the cranberry layer, starting in the middle and spreading out lightly and evenly, leaving a gap around the edge of the pie to create a border. Using your kitchen torch (and being very careful) slowly brown the meringue all over until you get your desired look.

This recipe makes a 9" pie.
This pie is best the day you make it. If you do have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.
If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can brown the meringue under the broiler in your oven. I would suggest using the low setting and keeping a close eye on it so it does not burn.
I used Meyer lemons when making this pie, but regular lemons will work as well.
You can make the crust, lemon pudding, and cranberry layers a day ahead and store them covered in the fridge overnight. Make and toast the meringue on the day you are planning to serve this pie.