Greetings fellow culinary enthusiasts! Welcome summer and with it many gatherings that will involve you preparing side dishes and such. Gone are the days when bringing Stove Top stuffing and premade fruit pies are appropriate. Summer time requires a cooler and lighter cuisine. The tangy sweetness of a refrigerated lemon meringue pie comes to mind. The thought of grateful guests enjoying bites of my pie quickly fade as I imagine the oven cooking at 350 degrees. I don’t know about you, but I think it would be more comfortable on my front porch than in the kitchen with a hot oven on a summer day. Fortunately, lemon meringue pie requires very little cooking time especially if they are miniature.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

Set oven to 350 degrees (don’t worry this won’t take long). Roll out a single, pre made pie crust and cut with a large mouth glass (this should make about 8 pieces). Press pieces into a muffin tin, puncture the bottom with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes.

While waiting, zest 2 lemons and mix the zest thoroughly in a bowl with 1 ½ c. sugar. Microwave what’s left of the lemons for 30 sec. In a medium bowl add 1 stick of butter, 3 egg yolks (save whites), the zest/sugar mixture and juice from the microwaved lemons. Mix well and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Fill each crust about 2/3 full and bake for another 10 minutes.

While waiting…..put reserved egg whites, ½ t. of cream of tartar and 6 T. of sugar in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Remove pies from oven and place oven on broil. Top each pie with meringue and broil in oven until brown (don’t walk away because this happens very fast).

Place mini pies in refrigerator until ready to serve. For added attraction garnish each with a candied lemon or lemon sugar. Approximate preparation time is 50 minutes and serves 6 to 8 people. Some cooks might think it would be easier to do ice cream or a frozen desert but that really depends on how far you have to travel. Word to the wise….no one likes desert soup.