Ingredients:
For Crust
1-1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 to 3 Tbsp cold water
For Filling
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
3 to 4 medium lemons
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For Meringue Topping
4 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Instructions
To make crust - Combine flour, salt and baking powder in food processor bowl with metal blade. Pulse to mix. Cut butter into 1 Tbsp pieces and add to bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly until the mixture resembles coarse ground cornmeal. Scatter 4 Tbsp cold water into mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add more water 1 tsp at a time as needed and pulse until dough holds together. Form into a 6 inch circle and refrigerate until ready to use. Roll out dough to make bottom crust. Pierce all over with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.
To make filling - Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan. Strip the zest from the lemons. Add zest to the milk and sugar and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the zest and discard.
Squeeze lemons to make 1/2 cup juice. Place juice in a mixing bowl and whisk in cornstarch, then egg yolks.
Return milk and sugar mixture to a boil over low heat and whisk about a third of the boiling milk into the lemon juice mixture. Return remaining milk and sugar mixture to a boil once more and whisk the lemon juice and yolk mixture back into it, whisking constantly until the filling comes to a boil and thickens. Allow to boil, whisking constantly, for about 30 seconds. Remove from yeat, whisk in butter and pour into a bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and cook to room temparature.
Spread cooled filling evenly in the cooled crust.
To make meringue - Combine egg whites, sugar and salt and whip on medium speed until mixture holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie filling. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 to 10 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned.
