Irresistible Strawberry Lemonade Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 0.5 cup cold vegetable shortening
• 0.5 cup ice cold water
• 4 cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup lemon juice
• 1.5 cups water
• 1.33 cups white sugar
• 0.5 cup cornstarch
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 5 egg yolks
• 0.5 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 6 egg whites
• 0.25 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons white sugar

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 2 teaspoons of white sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined. Cut in ½ cup of cold butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ½ cup of ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the flour mixture is just moistened. Be careful not to add too much water; the dough should form a ball when squeezed.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a ball, divide it in half, and flatten each half into 2 discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Roll out 1 piece of dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate; reserve the remaining dough for another use. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then add a layer of pie weights or dried beans to prevent the crust from puffing up during baking.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust edge is golden, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper or foil along with the weights or beans. Continue baking until the crust is set, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
6. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, 1 cup of white sugar, and ½ cup of lemon juice. Cook until the strawberries soften and release their juices, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside the strawberry compote.
7. In a saucepan, whisk together 1 ½ cups of water, 1 ⅓ cups of white sugar, cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon of salt until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Transfer ¼ cup of this cornstarch slurry to a separate bowl and set aside. Heat the remaining cornstarch slurry over high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns clear and thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, ½ cup of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of butter, and lemon zest until the butter is melted, about 3 minutes more. Add the reserved cornstarch slurry, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the filling thickens again.
8. Pour the hot lemon filling into the prepared pie crust and evenly spread the strawberry compote over the top.
9. In a large glass, metal, or ceramic bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until bubbles begin to form. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually add 3 tablespoons of white sugar until fully incorporated. Continue beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
10. Completely cover the pie with meringue, ensuring that the meringue seals in the filling and touches the crust all around.
11. Bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is firm and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. For extra color and flavor, use a blowtorch to toast the meringue peaks until they are a dark golden brown.

Nutrition

• Calories: 670 kcal
• Fat Content: 29 g
• Fiber Content: 3 g
• Sugar Content: 62 g
• Sodium Content: 397 mg
• Protein Content: 8 g
• Cholesterol Content: 151 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 99 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g