Why Is It Called Lemon Meringue Pie?
All desserts are great in their own way, but some are quite magical. It's those comfort foods that remind you of your grandma baking them for you, or they're just simply that good.
Well, one sweet dish that definitely fits that description is lemon meringue pie! And that's what we're here to talk about today.
This exquisite pie is made of the following ingredients:
- Lemon filling
- Meringue
- Pie crust
As for the preparation process, it goes like this. First, the lemon filling is made with egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and cornstarch to harden it. Next, this mixture is baked with the pie crust. Afterward, the meringue gets added on top and is baked for a bit.
And there you have it, the classic lemon meringue pie that we all adore and always want more of.
When Was Lemon Meringue Pie Invented?
When it comes to desserts, baking fruits and meringue has been a winning formula for quite some time.
In fact, back in 1739, the famous cookbook author Menon from France described a sweet dish called "pommes meringuées." It was made with apple sauce and meringue.
Also, an English translation of Menon's work from 1769, mentioned a dessert named "crême meringuée." This one was a lemon-flavored custard combined with meringue.
In the following century, there were a few notable references similar to a lemon meringue pie recipe:
1832 - An apple pie topped with meringue known as "apple a la turque." 1846 - A similar dish to the one above but called "apples meringuées." 1860 - A written reference to a simple meringue pie. 1868 - Rhoda E. White mentioned this sweet dish in her work "Memoir and Letters of Jenny C. White Del Bal." 1869 - The term Lemon Meringue Pie was actually used, though the more common name for this dessert was "lemon cream pie."
Moreover, a person that is tied to the invention of this special pie is Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow.
She is known for opening one of the first cooking schools in the United States. Her recipes lived on through the cookbooks of Eliza Leslie, who was a student of hers. But Mrs. Goodfellow also ran a bakery in Philly.
One of her signature recipes was the lemon pie or lemon pudding. Plus, Eliza had noted that Mrs. Goodfellow suggested using meringue as a topping or frosting. Hence, the idea of topping a lemon pie with meringue is credited to her.
Since then, this wonderful pie has become a staple food. There's even a National Lemon Meringue Pie Day that is celebrated on August 15th.
How Many Calories in a Slice of Lemon Meringue Pie?
A single piece of this dessert (127 grams) contains around 362 calories. This includes 16 g of total fat or 24% of the daily value based on a 2000-calorie diet.
In addition, there are 67 mg of cholesterol (22%), 307 mg of sodium (12%), 82mg of potassium (2%), 50 g of total carbohydrates (16%), and 5 g of protein (9%).
As for vitamins and minerals, we got - Vitamin C (7%), Calcium (1%), Iron (7%), Cobalamin (3%), and Magnesium (1%).
Where Can I Find Lemon Meringue Pie Near Me?
If you're in New York, a great place to get this sweet dish is Gracie's Corner Diner on 2nd Ave. They're open 7 days a week, offer takeout and delivery, and you even get 10% off any online order via Slice.
As for those of you in Baltimore, we recommend California Pizza & Wings. Located on Holabird Ave. they work every day of the week, and you can also order pickup or delivery through Slice!
