Lemon Cream Cheese Pie (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep lemon pie filling from being runny? ›

Beat a mixture of thickened cornstarch and water into the egg whites to bind and stabilize the liquid in the meringue (and keep it from seeping out). Cook the filling for the full 2 minutes on the stove top so the cornstarch thickens completely and doesn't start breaking down and "leaking" during chilling.

Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C). To make the filling: Whisk 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan; stir in water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.

Store in refrigerator up to 3 days.

How do you keep lemon meringue pie from getting soggy? It's important to blind bake the crust (partially bake the crust without the filling) before adding the lemon filling and meringue, otherwise you'll have a soggy crust.

Some say that scattering small bits of butter over a fruit filling keeps the juices from bubbling over in the same way that adding a bit of fat to simmering jam keeps it from foaming up in the preserving pan. The theory is that the fat disrupts the formation of bubbles on the surface of the viscous fruit mixture.

Meringue pies will ''weep'' water because of the interaction between the filling and the whipped meringue. If one or the other is overcooked, water beads will form and weep. Egg whites can also weep if they are over-beaten or are from old eggs.

What is the best way to prevent having liquid at the bottom of a lemon meringue pie? Don't over bake your meringue! Overbaking causes the egg whites to shrink and squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Always make sure to check on your pie at the minimum baking time.

McDowell says that fruit and custard pies are best eaten within the first 24 hours after baking, but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days—any longer than that, and the crust will start to get soggy.

If a pie contains eggs or dairy products, it should be stored in the refrigerator and not left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.

Why is store-bought pecan pie not refrigerated? ›

According to the USDA, any pie that is egg-rich (such as pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, and any custard pie) must be kept in the fridge after baking and cooling. The exception here is some store-bought pies, which may contain preservatives that will allow the pies to be left unrefrigerated.

Adding an extra egg gives the pie a cake-like consistency.

There was a very thin shiny top layer, but the rest of the filling was a consistent light-orange color.

The longer the pie sits, the more moisture is inclined to accumulate. We recommend that you make it the day you plan to eat it. A homemade lemon meringue pie is becoming a rare treat.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

Experiment with different thickeners

If you usually use flour to thicken your apple pie and it's not doing the job, try something different: cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot are other established fruit pie thickeners. For more on specific thickeners and how to use them, see our Pie Filling Thickeners Guide.

If your pie filling is runny, add in one additional tablespoon of cornstarch to the lemon filling, and stir over medium heat. It should thicken in 1 to 2 minutes.