Quick Lemon Meringue Pie

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Matt Wordell for sharing what might be a true food funny:

A man drinks a shot of whiskey every night before bed. After years
of this, the wife wants him to quit. She gets two shot glasses,
filling one with water and the other with whiskey. After getting
him to the table that had the glasses, she brings his bait box. She
says, "I want you to see this." She puts a worm in the water it and
it swims around. She puts a worm in the whiskey, and the worm dies
immediately. She then says, feeling that she has made her point
clear, "What do you have to say about this experiment?"

He responds by saying, "If I drink whiskey, I won't get worms?"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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A chemical reaction between the lemon juice and condensed milk in
this recipe causes the filling to thicken all by itself, making this
one of the easiest no-cook desserts of all time. For an even
quicker and easier version of this pie, you can substitute whipped
cream or (yech) whipped topping for the meringue in this pie, or
eliminate it altogether.

Quick Lemon Meringue Pie

Note: Even though the egg yolks in the filling are not cooked, they
are rendered safe by the acidity of the lemon juice. The egg whites
in the meringue are essentially uncooked in spite of a short period
in the oven, so if salmonella contamination is a concern to you, it
is best to eliminate the meringue topping in this recipe.

2 eggs, separated
1 can (15 oz, 425 g) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs (15 ml) grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1 8- or 9-inch (20-23 cm) Graham pie cracker crust
2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar

Combine the egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and
salt in a bowl and stir until combined and slightly thickened. Pour
into the pie crust. (The pie may be chilled and served without a
meringue topping at this point if desired.) Whip the egg whites and
the sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over the pie, mounding it
in the center and making sure the meringue extends to the rim of the
crust to prevent shrinking during cooking. Bake in a preheated 350F
(180C) until the meringue is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator. Serve
chilled. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Fri Jun 3 14:58:24 2005