Lemon Meringue Pie

1 package (4.3 oz. size) lemon pudding and pie filling mix (NOT instant pudding mix) 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3 cups water 

Juice of 1 lemon (3 tbsp.) --I used lemon juice concentrate.

3 egg yolks, well beaten 

Grated peel of 1/2 lemon or orange zest.

1 (9-inch) frozen deep-dish pie shell, thawed and baked or refrigerated crust, formed and baked or home-made crust which you should know by now by reading my blog :)

Three-Egg Meringue* (See Recipe Below) 

Instructions:
In a saucepan, thoroughly combine pudding mix and sugar. Gradually blend in water and lemon juice. Stir in egg yolks. Bring to full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until thickened. Stir in lemon peel. I also added a little bit of orange zest for something different. Pour into baked pie crust. Top pie with Three-Egg Meringue (recipe follows), sealing well at edges. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 2-1/2 to 3 hours before serving. This is very important to ensure it cuts beautifully. 

Three-Egg Meringue 

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 6 tbsp. sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. 

Summer time is Key Lime Pie Time!

Ok, so Brad's favorite pie is key lime.  Every year for our anniversary (July 9th) I make a pie. However, this year I had a difficult time finding real key limes.  Last year I managed to get some but most of them were brown and discolored.  So this year I tried Nellie & Joe's Famous Key Lime Juice (this can be found in the juice section of your local market).  The flavor of this lime juice was so great: tart, slight sweetness, and tangy.  Here is the recipe I followed on the Nellie & Joe's website:

• 9" graham cracker pie crust
• 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks (whites not used)
• ½ cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
• *optional: add cream cheese for a creamier pie

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream, or meringue, and garnish with lime slices. 

This pie was great! Tangy and limey...I also add a little bright green food die to give it that extra color.  You can experiment by even adding color to your whipped topping.  We decided that we wanted a creamier pie. So, the next day I made another pie and just added 8 oz. of cream cheese: heaven.