Meringue Lime Pie

For the crust:
Dice butter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt and make a hole on the middle of it. Drop diced butter into the hole and pour the beaten egg and the cold water in. Stir until all is combined. Knead the dough for 1 minute until it forms a ball. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Take to the fridge and let it rest for 1 hour.

After an hour of chilling remove dough from the fridge, unwrap it and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. You must roll out the dough according to the shape of your baking pan. You may use a baking pan (13″ x 9″) or a round springform pan (8″ diameter). Gently remove the rolled out dough from the working surface and center it in the baking pan. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Then, heat the oven to 325 F.

Then remove crust from the fridge and using a fork, prick the dough several times. Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. If you are preparing the whole lime pie recipe right away, do not turn off the oven heat.

For the lime custard filling:
In a medium bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk and the lime juice until all is combined. Then, add the egg yolks and stir until all is incorporated. Pour this mixture onto the baked crust. Set aside.

For the meringue top:
In a medium pot, combine 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Over a medium heat, bring to boil and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup of sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. Whip until the sugar is dissolved. With the stand mixer still on, gradually pour the sugar syrup into it. Whip until the cream has cooled.

Spread the meringue over the filling.

With the oven already preheated (325 F), bake the lime pie for 35 minutes or until the meringue golden.

Crust recipe is adapted from a recipe at Larousse Gastronomique.