Mrs. Parker's Lemon Cloud Pie

In 'Southern Pies' by Nancie McDermott

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch)  pie pastry, edges crimped decoratively
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon zest
• 2  egg yolks, beaten
• 2  egg whites

Directions

1. Refrigerate pie crust until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 450°.
3. In a bowl, combine the sugar and flour; use a whisk to stir them together well.
4. Add in the milk, lemon juice, butter, and lemon rind.
5. Stir to mix everything together.
6. Add in the egg yolks and stir well.
7. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they swell up into thick, puffy white clouds, which hold their shape in soft peaks.
8. Using a spatula or a large wooden spoon, fold the egg whites gently into the lemon filling, scooping and lifting to combine the two mixtures evenly.
9. Pour the filling into the piecrust.
10. Place the pie on the bottom rack of the oven, and bake for 10 minutes.
11. Decrease oven temperature to 350° and bake until the filling is fairly firm, dry, and puffed up, 20-25 minutes.
12. Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel and let cool to room temperature.