Gluten Free Lemon "Cream" Meringue Pie

I received my first Cook book at the age of 6........  It was a Betty Crocker Children's Cook Book,  and I am sure I still have it in my stash somewhere.  Food and cooking have been my life, passion, lively hood and way I have been able to take care of the  people i care about..  My baking experience has really given me great roots to start to explore Gluten free baking.  It can be easy, and it can be challenging, depending on what you want to recreate.  I believe you need to start where you are at.....  (in anything)  So , I will be giving recipes for both regular flour, milk, etc, and also subs for making things Gluten, and dairy free.  I bake quite often for my friends, and family members who are cutting gluten and dairy out of their diet.

A note about substitutions,  think of the Texture and color especially when substituting for dairy.  I prefer coconut milk, as I think it substitutes really well.  I have even used it in chocolate ganache.  My Katie,  doesn't do well with coconut milk, so I used Hemp milk for this recipe.....  it turned out a little brown,  but it was absolutely delicious!  And if you have never made a pie crust before......  there is a learning curve involved.  Handle it as little as possible, re-rolling only makes things worse.  It is better to patch and pat it in the pan.....  besides you are really going to cover it all up anyway with filling, so RELAX!!!!

I used Namaste foods Biscuits, Pie crust &More!  for my Crust.  I used butter(you can Sub organic shortening here) just fallowed the recipe on the bag, adding 1/4 cup pdw sugar to make it a sweet crust.  I divided this dough in 1/2, wrapped in plastic, shaped them into a disk, and put in the refrigerator overnight.  (at least an hour, this really helps distribute the moisture in the crust and chills the fat so it will be nice and flaky)  Roll out on a floured surface, use a pastry scraper to move the crust to the pan.  Pat int place, patching where needed.  Flute edges, and bake 400*  for 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Filling:

2 cups Hemp milk
2/3 cup turbonado sugar
1/2 cup fresh organic squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup corn starch (can sub sweet rice flour)
4 egg yolks
2 Tlb butter (can omit)

Heat Hemp milk and sugar in saucepan. 
Whisk cornstarch into lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add egg yolks.
When milk is almost to a simmer,  add a cup slowly whisking into the egg /lemon mixture.(this is called tempering)
Now add this mixture back into the simmering milk on the stove, whisking the whole time.
Cook over Medium heat until boiling, and continue to boil for 1 minute.  pull off heat and add butter.
Place in a bowl, placing plastic wrap against the filling, and cool in refrigerator. (a couple hours before you start on the Meringue)

Meringue:

4 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
pinch sea salt

Bring a small pan of water to simmer on the stove.  In a stainless steel bowl,  mix egg whites, sugar and salt.  place bowl over simmering water. Mix by hand with wire whisk, continually mixing, until It is hot, (about 140*)  Remove from heat and beat by hand or with electric mixer until stiff, but still shiny peaks form.  (stiff peaks are when you slowly raise the beater out of the bowl, and turn it over, and the eggs come to a point,  they do not bend over....) 

Place filling in prepared crust, spread Meringue  over top, sealing all edges, and bake in a 400* oven for 7 to 10 minutes until Meringue is colored evenly. 
cool

We like to add a layer of Raspberries in the filling.
Happy Baking!