Lemon Lime Meringue Pie

Piecrust:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water (divided)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Filling:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 6 limes)
• 1/4 cup freshley squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons, zested before juicing)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Meringue:

• 3/4 cup egg whites (6 large eggs)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• water

In a food processor (electric mixer or large mixing bowl) combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Using the blade attachment of food processor (or paddle attachment of electric mixer) cut cold butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. If you are using a processor, transfer to a bowl.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla over the mixture and mix with a fork until dough clumps together. Gather dough into a bowl, wrap it in plastic wrap, and flatten into a 1-inch thick disk. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes, until it is firm enough to roll out.

Have ready an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (or a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 13-inch circle. Set rolling pin on top of dough on the diagonal, and flip dough edge (about one-third of the dough width) over rolling pin. Holding dough against the pin gently with one hand, pick up the pin and set the dough in the tart pan, centering it as well as you can.

Trim dough to leave about 1/2 inch overhang all the way around, saving the trimmings at room temperature for later crust repair work. Gently push dough into pan so it fits snugly against the side, then fold overhang toward the inside, pressing the folded dough against the side. With thumb and forefinger, gently pinch dough so that sides of the tart extend about 1/4 inch above edge of pan, with an even thickness all the way up and around. Freeze the crust for 30 to 40 minutes, until hard. Toward the end of freezing time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

When crust is hard, line it with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover it, and fill with beans, rice, or pie weights. (Do not prick the crust!) Bake crust in preheated oven for 35 minutes, then remove weights and foil and bake another 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and feels dry.

Note: if holes developed anywhere in the crust, they can easily be patched now with leftover dough.

In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash and brush all over bottom and side of crust. Return crust to oven and bake 5 minutes more, until egg is set and dry.

About 15 minutes before pie crust will finish baking, make the filling:

Whisk eggs and granulated sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in lime and lemon juices until smooth. Whisk in the cream, then strain the filling (to remove any pulp) through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup and stir in the lemon zest. The filling will be quite liquid at this point.

Without removing crust from the oven, pour filling into hot crust (it's easier to do this way than to juggle the full pie shell from counter to oven again). Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake pie (if using a tart pan) for 40 minutes, until center is just set. (If using a deep-dish pan, cook an additional 10 minutes). Cool pie on a rack, then refrigerate until cold.

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Place brown sugar in a small, heavy saucepan, add water to cover, attach a candy thermometer to pan, and turn heat on high. When sugar is at about 240 degrees, start whipping the whites on high speed (they should be foamy and starting to thicken before you add the sugar). When the sugar is at the high range of 245 degrees, remove thermometer from sugar and, with the mixer still running (and carefully avoiding the whip), pour the sugar into the egg whites in a thin stream.

When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping until firm but soft peaks form. The meringue should still be quite warm.

Quickly spread meringue on top of chilled pie, shaping it with a rubber spatula to form a high, smooth dome. With the back of a soup spoon, make decorative waves, working quickly because as the meringue cools it will become stiff and difficult to shape.

Preheat broiler and place pie on a lower oven rack to brown, turning every few seconds to brown evenly (be sure to watch closely so it doesn't burn). Cool and then store pie in refrigerator, but plan on serving it within three to five hours, as the meringue may start to weep.

Recipe adapted from "Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook" and tested by Amy DeWall Dadmun