Guys.

This. Is. Good.

Like, so good. As in, the best lemon meringue pie I’ve ever had. And I was a professional pastry chef for a decade.

This one though, is lemony tart and subtly sweet with a beautiful floral note from the raw honey. The Italian meringue is fluffy and smooth and creamy and most of all, not drippy or wet. It’s just SO GOOD. Plus the meringue is fully cooked so no need to worry about raw egg whites.

I’m not gonna lie and say it’s super quick or simple to make. It does take a bit of prep and time but then again, so does any regular pie. This is perfect to take to a pitch in dinner or the best sweet ending to your Holiday meal. Top with some sprigs of rosemary and dot with a few pomegranate seeds for that *extra* Christmas touch. Or just brown the glorious meringue under a broiler and take it as is.

Maybe the easiest part of this pie is the crust. I attempted to make a cassava flour pie crust but alas, it just wasn’t happening that day so I reached into my pantry and pulled out the Aldi find of the century: Coconut Cashew Crisps in Vanilla. (They also have Chocolate and Salted Caramel but Vanilla works perfectly here.)

7 ingredients, paleo, vegan, Non-GMO. Crispy, light texture; mixed with coconut oil and baked lightly, it’s perfect for creating a crusty base that holds up to the filling & doesn’t get soggy.

The lemon filling is pre-cooked and then poured into the crust; a mixture of honey sweetened lemon curd and coconut panna cotta making it light and airy yet sturdy enough to slice through and hold it’s shape. The meringue is 3 ingredients: egg whites, lemon juice and raw honey. Add a dash of vanilla if you’d like.

RECIPE:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Clear out space in your fridge to fit a pie pan sized area. Pull eggs out of fridge to begin warming to room temp while you begin.

CRUST

• 2 bags of Aldi Vanilla Coconut Cashew Crisps
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Crush crisps in a food processor, blender or by hand (place in large ziploc baggie and roll with a rolling pin) to a fine crumb. Melt coconut oil, pour over crisp crumbs (say that 5 times fast) and mix together with a fork until well blended. Dump all crumbs into a pie pan and gently press flat and up the sides of the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until slighty darker golden in color. Watch it! The edges will burn quickly. Remove and set aside to cool completely.

FILLING

Step 1: Honey Lemon Curd

• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Whisk egg yolks, whole egg, honey, and lemon juice together in a small sauce pan. Heat lemon mixture over medium, whisking continuously until mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove any egg bits that may be in there. Whisk in lemon zest and coconut oil until fully blended. Place in fridge to cool and set OR fill a larger bowl with ice, set your smaller bowl inside and stir until cooled and firm. Then set aside while you make the panna cotta.

Step 2: Coconut Panna Cotta

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk (canned variety)
• 1 packet grassfed gelatin OR Vegan gelatin to make this ovo-lacto vegetarian

Pour coconut milk into a small sauce pan. Sprinkle gelatin over top. Let gelatin bloom for 5 minutes. Heat sauce pan on medium heat until warm, whisk gelatin into milk until dissolved. Pour into a bowl and set in the fridge to firm up for 5 minutes.

Whisk curd and panna cotta together until fully blended OR place both in a blender and blend on medium until airy and smooth. Pour into cooled pie crust and place in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight until set.

ITALIAN MERINGUE

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vanilla extract or both
• 1/2 cup raw honey

This bit requires a stand mixer or hand mixer. You’re not going to be able to hand whisk this. Heat honey in a small sauce pan to 240 degrees. It’ll take a little bit of time, so put egg whites and lemon or vanilla in a CLEAN BOWL of a stand mixer and begin to whip to soft peaks. Once honey reaches temp, turn mixer onto high and whip eggs while slowly pouring in hot honey on one side of the bowl. You will begin to see the egg whites turning a shiny opaque white and thicken. Whisk on high until side of the bowl is cool to the touch and egg whites are thick & glossy.

Spread meringue over pie, completely covering and sealing the lemon base. Place under a broiler for 30 second intervals until top is golden brown OR use a mini blow torch to achieve the same look and texture.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

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