About the Recipe
We have several vegan friends, and this pie tastes about as good as the traditional lemon meringue.
Ingredients
1 firm baked pie shell
Filling
1 cup superfine or caster sugar
â…“ cup corn starch
1¼ cup coconut milk
½ cup lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest (grated rind)
yellow food coloring, to color (will be less than ¼ tsp)
Topping
½ cup aquafaba (liquid from a 15 oz./400 g. can of chickpea)
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash lemon juice (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the pie crust, and set aside.
Mix corn starch and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice, zest, and coconut water. Add yellow food coloring and mix thoroughly.
Turn the heat on, medium high. Stir for a few minutes, until the sugar dissolves completely. Increase the heat to medium high and stir constantly, cooking until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
Remove the lemon filling from the heat, and quickly pour it into the crust. As it cools, it will set up and become difficult to pour. Once in the crust, refrigerate for about 2 hours to firm it up.
In a large bowl, beat the aquafaba until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the cream of tartar (which stabilizes the foam) and continue beating until combined. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract, and dash of lemon juice if desired, and beat some more until thoroughly combined.
Using a rubber spatula, spread out the meringue over the top of the pie and filling, first covering the edges and making sure the meringue touches the crust all around, then filling in the center. Spread to form a nicely shaped conical pyramid, and use the spatula to pull up little points all over. Cook in a 425° oven for 12-15 minutes, until tops are browned.