Pies and Desserts - Angel or Lemon Pie

Programming note:  I'm not yet done with the cookies post promised.  It'll be along in time.

I am enjoying working through the Zion Ladies Guild cook book, but it is not often that I am actually excited about making a recipe.  Angel or Lemon Pie looked exciting, and yes it is listed as "Angel or Lemon Pie" and I don't really know why.  Last year for Mother's Day, I made Sarah a pavlova.  The pavlova was first made in honor of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during a visit to Australia in the 1920s.  The pavlova has a meringue base and is topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  It is light, airy, beautiful, and delicious.  Just like Anna Pavlova... minus the delicious part.  I don't think she was very edible.

A. Pavlova - the dancer

A pavlova - the dessert

Don't get these confused.  That would be pretty embarrassing.  Though the pavlova I made wasn't as pretty as it could have been, I was satisfied with how it turned out considering it was my first attempt at making something like that.  Sarah was pretty happy with it, and so between the two of us we licked the platter clean, as they say.  The Angel or Lemon Pie (ALP, hereafter) looked to be similar to what I made for Sarah last year.  It had a baked meringue base, and a custard-like topping.  As good as the pavlova was, surely ALP should be alright.  But you know, this is the Zion Ladies Guild cook book, so who can really say?

Preparation

It seems reasonable

I am envisioning enough meringue to kind of spackle around the inside of a pie pan that will harden and act as something of a pie shell for the lemony custardy filling.  Looks great in my mind.

Always remember to read through the whole recipe and check and see that you have all ingredients.  Not pictured: the nearly empty bottle of vanilla.

Step one: meringue.  I have made meringue many times.  I've got a recipe that my mom gave me for rhubarb custard meringue pie, and that she made for the Pie off last fall. It's a big, fluffy, delicious meringue.  The key to meringue is to make sure there are no fats in the egg whites.  Also be sure to use metal or glass bowls to whip the egg whites because fats and oils can stick to the sides of plastic bowls.  Sarah could explain, if you want to know how or why.  For the same reason, it is vital to make sure no yolks get into the egg whites, or they won't whip up.  To do this, have an assistant for cuteness support, and use the three bowl system.  Separate the eggs with your antique, given to you by your mother, Tupperware egg separator over one bowl.  Put the yolk in a second container, and the uncontaminated white in your metal/glass bowl.

Any questions?

Start whipping the whites until you have soft peaks (stiff peaks according this recipe, but I would do soft peaks normally) before gradually adding the sugar... so much sugar.

Stiff peaks, and about as much sugar as meringue.  Yipe.

Anna is sweet and all, but there are limits.

I whipped the sugar in, and it was no longer fluffy.  Rather, as you will see below, it got kind of marshmallowy.  Pouring it in the pie plate was rather satisfying, as it made big thick loops of meringue as it landed in the plate.  The consistency of the meringue made it clear that I wouldn't be spreading it out like a shell around the edge of the pie plate.  In fact, it nearly filled the whole plate.

Mesmerizing, isn't it, Thomas?

No, he was just hoping for licks.

Into a slow oven it goes.  I'm glad that Mrs. Gilfred Sannes defined "slow oven".  The Ladies define "slow" as up to 300 degrees.  So into the slow oven, the meringue goes.  After an hour, it is clear that we have a problem.

Where's the custard going to go??!!

Nope.  Just following directions.

As the meringue cooled, it was time to make the custard.  Yolks, cooked with more sugar and a lemon's worth of zest, cooled, then folded into whipped cream.

Did I cook the custard long enough?  I don't know.  Maybe.

I can hear Sarah now, "What a waste of cream!  Why would you ruin it by putting it in on of the Ladies' recipes instead of just putting it on hot chocolate as nature intended?!"  By the time the custard cooled down, the meringue settled down a little bit... but not enough to avoid a mess.

Ah, the light end of the white to brown spectrum of food from Minnesota's past.

Tasting and Reaction

The first problem, is how to serve this ALP.  There is no way I was going to be able to cut discrete pieces, so I just grabbed a big spoon and scooped big messy scoops of the stuff.  

Looks like a melted ice cream mess

I won't.  I promise.

Let's see what Sarah thinks.

Sarah – It’s so sweet!  I mean, I just taste sugar.  It’s really sweet

Me – So you’re saying it’s sweet?

Sarah – I guess I wouldn’t mind some more lemony flavor if that is what you were going for.  I take it you were making the lemon pie and not the angle pie.

Me – I don’t know that they’re mutually exclusive.  I like the texture.

Sarah – Yeah, there are some parts of the meringue that have more of a chewy texture instead of more crunchy.  I think having some raspberries on top of the filling would be good for some tartness for contrast to the sweet.  Raspberry and lemon are good together.

Me – the top is nice and creamy.  It’s kind of custardy creamy.  But yeah!  Really sweet.  This coconut adds nothing, just unpleasant texture.

Note:  I sprinkled some coconut on top of my piece since it was suggested in the recipe.  I don't even particularly care for coconut.  THAT is how much I am dedicated to this project.

Me – there’s kind of a sugar burn in the back of my throat.

Sarah – This can’t be healthy.

Me – 30 units of insulin.  Stat!

Sarah – I feel like you could serve it in a wine glass layered with berries and some whipped cream

Me – Actually, it said you could top it with whipped cream.  I forgot to do that.

Sarah – Maybe that’s where you are supposed to sprinkle the coconut.

Me – Whipped cream would only make this messier.  The lemon is subtle, but not too hidden… aside from being killed by all of that sugar.  

James got some too.

Is he trying to hide the fear in his eyes?  He's had these recipes before.  You're not fooling anyone, buddy.

Me – What do you think, James?

James nods vigorously. – I don’t really like the topping so much.  I like the meringue more.

Me – the coconut?

James – No the topping.

Me – Oh, the looser stuff?

James – Yeah.

Eats a little more.

James – I think this is a little too much sugar for me.

Poor thing... subjected to delicious-looking desserts only to be disappointed.

Final thoughts

This thing was incredibly, almost painfully sweet.  That said, it wasn't exactly bad.  The lemon flavor in the custard was pleasant, if a little weak.  The Cocoanut Angle Pie on the same page of the cook book, had half the sugar in the meringue, and even though that is a Mrs. Gust Haugen recipe I think she may have a better meringue here.  There is some potential to the recipe with some modifications.  I like Sarah's idea of some raspberries in there somewhere for some tartness to balance out the sweetness, and I think she's right in that it could make for a good parfait base.

If I were to give some to prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova... her dying swan would probably die from diabetic shock.

Alas, I die.

Next time:  Beverages