Best 20 Lemon Meringue Pie Recipes

GRANDMA'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
• To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

THE BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt and vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until you can still see large pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the eggs yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.

CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add 3 tablespoons cold water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer crust to pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned., Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. , Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and lemon zest. Gradually stir in lemon juice just until combined. Pour into the crust., For meringue, in a saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cold water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is clear. Transfer to a bowl; cool., Beat egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat in cornstarch mixture on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edge to crust., Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

MY MOM'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Press pie crust into a pie plate.
• Mix sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl; pour into pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Five minutes before pie is done, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together in a bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar to egg white mixture and continue beating until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven and increase temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread meringue onto warm pie, making sure meringue goes all the way to the edges creating a seal. Using the back of a spoon, dab the meringue and pull up, creating peaks across the pie.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature for 1 hour and store in the refrigerator.

SUGAR FREE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Combine water, lemon juice and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
• Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Beat eggs, 2 egg whites and lemon peel in medium bowl. Mix in 1-1/2 cups Equal® or 36 packets.
• Stir about half of hot cornstarch mixture into egg mixture. Return all to saucepan.
• Cook and stir over low heat 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Stir in butter until melted.
• Stir in food coloring, if desired.
• Pour mixture into baked pie shell.
• For Meringue:.
• beat 3 egg whites in mixing bowl on medium speed of mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar.
• Beat to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup Equal® or 16 packets), beating to stiff peaks.
• Spread meringue over hot lemon filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.
• Bake pie in 425° F oven about 5 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.
• Cool completely on wire rack.

MAGIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: In a mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar until combined. Then, stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the condensed milk, lemon juice, zest and egg yolks, reserving the whites for the meringue. Pour the mixture into the crust.
• For the meringue: Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and whip until peaks are stiff.
• Spread the meringue over the pie and seal to the edge of the crust. Bake until the meringue browns slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Unroll crust into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing the filling., In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 additional minutes. Gradually stir in 1 cup of hot filling to egg yolks; return to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice and zest. Pour hot filling into pastry shell., For meringue, beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a bowl at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff and glossy. Immediately spread over pie, sealing edges to pastry. , Bake until meringue is golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool. Store in refrigerator.

LEMON AND TOASTED-COCONUT MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour, coconut, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water in small bowl to blend. Add to processor and blend until mixture begins to clump together, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)
• Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under; crimp decoratively. Pierce crust all over with fork; freeze 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 15 minutes longer. Cool completely on rack.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in yolks, whole eggs, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and just begins to boil around edges, about 6 minutes. Add butter; whisk until smooth. Cool 10 minutes. Pour warm filling into crust.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Gently fold 3/4 cup toasted coconut into meringue. Spread coconut meringue over warm filling, covering completely, sealing meringue to crust edges and mounding in center.
• Bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F; bake 30 minutes longer. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup toasted coconut over pie; continue to bake until meringue is light golden brown and set when pie is shaken slightly, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered.)

RASPBERRY LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Brush crust with enough egg white to coat with a thin layer.
• Cook in the preheated oven until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and cool. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cook and stir raspberries in a saucepan over medium heat until raspberries start to break down, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch into raspberries until cornstarch is dissolved and mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture into pie crust.
• Combine 1 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch in a saucepan; gradually stir in water and 1/2 cup lemon juice until smooth. Stir egg yolks into sugar mixture; bring to a boil. Cook sugar-egg mixture at a boil, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir lemon pulp, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, and butter into sugar-egg mixture; pour over raspberry mixture.
• Beat 3 egg whites in a small bowl using an electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually beat 1/3 cup white sugar into egg whites until stiff peaks form. Spread egg white mixture over lemon filling, completely sealing egg mixture onto edges of crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until meringue is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate pie until completely chilled, about 3 hours.

LEMON MERINGUE ICE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Combine cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar and butter; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze 30 minutes., Spread 2 cups ice cream into the crust. Freeze 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine lemon curd and lemon juice. Spread over ice cream and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Top with remaining ice cream. Freeze 2 hours or until set., In a large heavy saucepan, combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar. With a hand mixer, beat on low speed 1 minute. Continue beating over low heat until mixture reaches 160°, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; beat until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved., Immediately spread meringue over ice cream, sealing to edges of pie. Heat with a kitchen torch or broil 8 in. from the heat 3-5 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Freeze at least 1 hour before serving.

GRANDMA'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
• To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and cream of tartar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water in a heavy saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to make a smooth paste. Gradually whisk into boiling sugar mixture. Boil mixture until thick and clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice. Gradually whisk egg yolk mixture into hot sugar mixture. Return pan to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in grated lemon rind and butter or margarine. Place mixture in refrigerator and cool until just lukewarm.
• In a large glass or metal bowl, combine egg whites and salt. Whip until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar while continuing to whip. Beat until whites form stiff peaks. Stir about 3/4 cup of meringue into lukewarm filling. Spoon filling into baked pastry shell. Cover pie with remaining meringue.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until meringue is slightly brown. Cool on a rack at for at least 1 hour before cutting.

MOM'S 5-STAR LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Beat sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl until smooth; pour into pie crust.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a glass or metal bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form sharp peaks; spoon onto the pie to cover completely.
• Bake pie in preheated oven until the tips of the topping begin to brown, about 3 minutes.

OLD FASHIONED LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Baked the pie shell until lightly golden according to package directions. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan (without heat), combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Gradually blend in 1/2 cup cold water and lemon juice until smooth. Add egg yolks, blend thoroughly. Finally, add pieces of butter.
• Stirring constantly, gradually add 1 cup boiling water. Now turn on the heat and bring mixture to a full boil, stirring gently.
• Once mixture begins to thicken, turn heat down and simmer slowly for 1 minute or until well-gelled.
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.
• Pour hot mixture into cooled pie shell.
• Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling while it is still hot.
• Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
• Once cooled, chill in the refrigerator until nice and cold.

CREAMY LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condenesed milk, real lemon, and rind.
• Pour into crust.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.
• Gradually add sugar until stiff but not dry.
• Spread meringue on top of pie sealing carefully to edge of crust.
• Bake 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.
• Cool, chill before serving.

MOM'S MAGIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Blend milk, juice, and yolks until thick (5 minutes or so).
• Pour into pie shell.
• In clean bowl, beat egg whites with sugar to taste until thick (stiff peaks).
• Cover pie with meringue.
• Bake at 350 until meringue is browned slightly.
• (5-10 minutes).
• Chill and serve.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add vanilla and cream of tartar; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a #24 star tip. Fill bag with meringue. Pipe 1-in. circles 2 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Pipe 1 or 2 circles over the edge of the base, forming sides., Bake at 300° for 25 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest until blended. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon. Transfer to a small bowl; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled., Just before serving, spoon lemon curd into the center of cookies. Refrigerate leftovers.

LEMON MERINGUE BLUEBERRY PIE

Steps:

• For lemon curd and mousse:
• Whisk sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually add lemon juice, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in yolks. Add butter. Cook over medium heat until curd thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 8 minutes. Transfer curd to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd. Refrigerate at least 1 day. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold 3/4 cup lemon curd into whipped cream 1/4 cup at a time. Chill lemon mousse at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Keep remaining curd chilled.
• For blueberry compote:
• Combine 3/4 cup blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, salt, and cinnamon in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup blueberries. Transfer compote to small bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep compote refrigerated.)
• For crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out pie crust disk on lightly floured surface to 13 1/2-inch round. Transfer crust to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold edges under and crimp decoratively; chill 30 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans from crust. Bake crust until golden and cooked through, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of remaining lemon curd over bottom of crust. Using slotted spoon and leaving most of juices behind, spoon 3/4 cup blueberry compote evenly over curd. Drop lemon mousse in dollops over blueberries; spread to cover berries completely. Using slotted spoon, spoon remaining blueberries over mousse. Chill pie while preparing meringue.
• For meringue:
• Whisk egg whites and sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water); whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is very warm to touch, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until thick and fluffy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with large (about 3/4-inch) plain tip. Pipe meringue decoratively over top of pie, leaving 1-inch plain border to expose some of mousse and blueberries. Using pastry torch, singe meringue until golden. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)

LEMON CREAM MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine milk and sugar in a nonreactive saucepan, preferably enameled iron. Strip the zest from the lemons with a sharp vegetable peeler, making sure you remove the yellow zest but none of the white pith beneath. If you do remove some of the white pith, scrape it off the strips of zest with the point of a paring knife and discard it. Add the zest to the milk and sugar and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes; remove the strips of zest with a slotted spoon or skimmer and discard them.
• Squeeze lemons to make 1/2 cup strained juice. Place juice in a mixing bowl and whisk in cornstarch, then yolks.
• Return milk and sugar mixture to a boil over low heat and whisk about a third of the boiling milk into the lemon juice mixture. Return remaining milk and sugar mixture to a boil once more and whisk the lemon juice and yolk mixture back into it, whisking constantly until the filling comes to a boil and thickens. Allow to boil, whisking constantly, for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and pour into a nonreactive bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and chill until it is approximately 75 degrees. (If you prepare the filling in advance, let it come to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to make bottom crust and arrange in pan. Chill crust until firm.
• To bake the crust, pierce it all over with the tines of a fork at 1/2inch intervals. Line it with a disk of parchment or waxed paper and fill with cherry stones or dried beans. Bake about 20 minutes, until lightly colored. Remove paper and beans and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool crust on a rack.
• Spread the cooled filling evenly in the cooled crust.
• Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• To make the meringue bring a small pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that water simmers. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of the mixer or if you are using a hand whisk another heatproof bowl. Place bowl over pan of simmering water and whisk gently for about 2 minutes, until egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees) and sugar has dis solved. Whip meringue on medium speed until it has cooled and is able to hold a shape, but it should not be dry. Distribute spoonfuls of the meringue all over the top of the pie, then use the back of a spoon or a small offset metal spatula to spread the meringue evenly. It should cover the top of the pie and touch the edges of the crust all around. Here and there, bring up the surface of the meringue so that it is swirled. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the meringue is colored evenly. Cool on a rack.

BUTTERMILK LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in buttermilk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir 1 cup of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir in butter. Gently stir in lemon juice and zest. Pour hot filling into pastry shell., For meringue, in a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to crust., Bake at 350° until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.