Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar

This Lemon Meringue Pie is easy to make and easy to serve.

I love to make "things" in a jar.

I like the light, refreshing taste of lemon after a hearty meal,

 so I made these for my dinner 

guests on Sunday.

The light fluffy meringue melted on my tongue before the thick lemony filling coated 

the roof of my mouth.  Then there was the graham cracker crunch.  It was great!

A very pretty presentation and single serve.

 Start by making the graham cracker crust as you would for any pie.

In this case, you put the crumbs into jars instead of a pie pan.

 Put 1 package of graham crackers into a zip lock bag,

and then crush them with a rolling pin.

 Add 1/3 cup sugar and 4 Tbsp. of room temperature butter or margarine.

Squeeze the ingredients together in the bag until they are evenly distributed.

 Measure the graham cracker mixture evenly into
10, (1/2-pint or 8 oz.), wide mouth jelly jars.

Press crackers into jar to make a crust.

 Place the jars on a cooking sheet,

and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

 Make the lemon pudding according to the directions on the box.

I added the zest of 1 lemon for an extra kick.

Use the Cook & Serve pudding, not the instant.

This will go into the oven when the meringue is baked,
so instant will NOT work.

 The classic pie recipe calls for 3/4 cup sugar , 1/2 cup water, pudding mix from a

4.3 oz. package, and 3 beaten egg yolks mixed into a medium sauce pan.

Once that is mixed, stir in 2-1/2 cups water.

Bring to a full boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.

Cool 5 minutes.

Make the Meringue

Age of Eggs:

Meringue recipes work better with eggs that are at least 3 or 4 days old. Thin, older egg whites whip more easily to a higher volume than thick, fresh egg whites. Once whipped, the foam from thin whites is less stable because the liquid film drains more easily from the bubbles. If volume is more important than stability, then older eggs are better to use. For better stability, a good rule of thumb is to use fresher eggs for meringues, saving older ones for general baking.

Don't make egg white meringues on a rainy or really humid day (remember that they are mostly air and if that air contains a lot of water, it will have an effect). 

The tiniest bit of fat or egg yolk will wreck a meringue, as fat interferes with the formation of good foam. When separating eggs, if a speck of egg yolk falls into the egg whites, lift it out with an empty eggshell half. Do not try to fish it out with your fingers; the oil on your skin will prevent the egg whites from expanding.

Beat 4 egg whites in a large bowl on high speed until foamy.

Whipping egg whites are much like blowing air into a balloon. Beating or whisking causes the protein in the egg whites to unfold, forming films that trap the air bubbles, and the sugar stiffens the foam. A meringue is really nothing but a foam, and foam is a big collection of bubbles. 

Do not add sugar before whipping the egg whites. Adding sugar at the beginning can double the time you have to whip the egg whites to get a foam. Add the sugar at the very end when the whites have formed soft peaks.

These and More Tips were found at Perfect Meringue Recipe

Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time until stiff peaks form
and the sugar is dissolved.

The egg whites are creamy and glossy.

 Spoon the filling over the graham cracker crust.

 Spread the meringue over the filling,
sealing to the edge of the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees
approximately 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.

Enough for a dinner party!

 Enjoy!

Denise, Gail, Yatzi, Lei