Lemon Meringue Pie #17

For me this pie was full of surprises.

Surprise #1: Though a very common pie, I realized while I was making it that maybe I've never even tasted one before. So...I don't really know what a meringue is supposed to taste like except maybe airy and crispy (but maybe not, since that assumption is derived from a dessert my mom made LONG AGO)?

Surprise #2: This shouldn't be a surprise because each and every time I make candy (or something similar to candy) I forget that:

sugar + moisture + high heat = an enormous amount of bubbling

Why do I ALWAYS put that combination in too small of a pan? And why am I surprised when it boils over?Surprise #3: Besides that whole sugar boiling over fiasco this was a much easier pie to make than I anticipated. Amazingly the meringue was forgiving enough to come to life after all of those crispy spoonfuls of sugar I mixed in there also I was happy with how it looked; it was kind of like a pie of peeps, which seemed pretty appropriate for Easter.

Surprise #4: The real Easter surprise was finding out that lemon meringue pie is quit heavenly. I thought that the flavors went well together. I liked the crispy edge and the brown sugar flavor of the meringue. And as far as the main attraction goes--the lemons--I loved the how the filling blended with the creamy meringue.

I would say that the crust was the only thing that didn't really leave me in some delightful state of awe. Based solely on taste, it was good. The lip of the crust had a great flavor and flake, but the bottom was mushy (which is never good). In retrospect, I should have par-baked it for a few extra minutes without the beans and parchment paper...maybe 10-15 minutes more?

Let me know what happens if you try this crust, but for now I'm still a little baffled by that sogginess...