Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in Toasted Pecan Crust

Happy Easter!
         and
Happy Passover!


This recipe has been on my radar a long time. It was originally on the cover of the April 2007 issue of Bon Appetite Magazine via their  RSVP column and the recipe came from  Jamie's Restaurant in Pensacola, FL. I tore out the recipe, stuck it in my file and finally got around to making it last Easter. My little bunnies were very happy floating in the meringue and my guests were very happy to dig into this pie!
Susan from Savoring Time in the Kitchen posted the same pie last summer and she noted what a great summer dessert this was. I agree. To save time you can use store bought lemon curd and ice cream. The crust is fabulous.

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in Toasted Pecan Crust
Bon Appétit  | April 2007 

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cups vanilla bean ice cream
Meringue:
3 large egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
5 tablespoons sugar
Lemon Curd; recipe follows if you want to make your own

Method:
Make the curd according to instructions and chill for a few hours to firm up.
Preheat oven to 400. Mix the pecans, sugar and butter together until moistened. Press the pecan mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a 9” diameter glass pie dish, the mixture will be crumbly. Bake until the crust is slightly toasted, about 12 minutes. The crust will have slipped down the sides, use the back of a spoon to press it back in to place. Cool and then freeze the crust for 30 minutes.
Dollop 1 1/2 Cups of the softened ice cream over the crust, and spread into an even layer. Spread lemon curd over the ice cream and freeze until firm. About 1 1/2 hours. Dollop the remaining ice cream over the lemon curd, and freeze again. You can do this in advance and finish it with meringue when ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 500. To make the meringue, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy, add the pinch of cream of tartar and gradually add the sugar while mixer is running. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pie in an even layer. Place the pie in the oven until meringue is golden in spots, about 3-4 minutes. You could use a butane torch as an alternative if you own one. Cut and serve immediately.

Meyer Lemon Curd
Recipe from David Lebovitz
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt

Method:
Place a mesh strainer over a bowl, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, eggs, and salt.
Add the butter cubes and set the pan over low heat, whisking constantly until the butter is melted.
Increase the heat a VERY LITTLE bit and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and just begins to become jelly-like. It’s done when you lift the whisk and the mixture holds its shape when it falls back into the saucepan from the whisk. For me, this took about ten minutes in a 12” pan.
Immediately press the curd through the strainer. Once strained, store the lemon curd in the refrigerator.