Lemon Meringue Pie

Preheat oven to 350° F. Separate eggs, allowing whites to come to room temperature.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.

Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in ½ cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while strirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and pour filling into baked pie shell.

Sprinkle cream of tartar over the egg whites, and whip until foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to whip just until stiff peaks form. While the pie filling is still hot, starting from the crust edge working inward, spread the meringue over the top, being sure to seal the crust edge.

Bake in preheated over for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Allow to cool at least 1 hour, and then refrigerate. Pie should chill at least 2 hours before serving so that the lemon layer is set.

This French meringue is better if served the same day. If chilled overnight, it may separate and weep. If making this pie a day ahead, you may choose to use the stabilized meringue method in the orange meringue pie recipe instead.