Summary: Bar none the best lemon pie I've ever had, this is an old family recipe from my maternal grandmother.

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

1 baked 9" pie crust (I strongly recommend using my Stir and Roll recipe.)
4 eggs, separated
grated zest of 1 lemon
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar, divided

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Put egg yolks in top of a double boiler and whisk until thick, a few minutes. Add the lemon zest, juice, water and ½ cup sugar, beat well and cook over the hot water until sugar is dissolved, a few more minutes. Reserve.

Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff. Add the remaining sugar and continue beating until sugar is blended into the whites.

Fold half of the meringue into the warm yolk and lemon mixture to lighten. When everything is well combined, pour the mixture into the baked pie crust.

Using a spoon or spatula, drop dollops of the remaining meringue in a circle around the pie's periphery. Bake in the oven until the meringue is lightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.