You can fill this gluten-free meringue pie shell with everything from ice cream to pudding to mousse! Vary the meringue pie shell recipe to add more interest to your pies. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder along with the sugar for a chocolate meringue pie shell. Or add a teaspoon of grated lemon or orange peel for a citrus-flavored pie shell. For a mocha pie shell, add the cocoa and 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Yield: One 9-inch pie shell
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
11 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Grease a 9-inch pie plate with unsalted butter and dust it with cornstarch. Shake out the excess cornstarch and set the plate aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with salt and lemon juice until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
Beat in the vanilla. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pie plate, building up the edges and creating an impression in the center to form a shell.
Bake the shell for 1 hour and then turn off the oven and let the shell stand in the closed oven for 1 hour longer.
Remove the shell from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack.
Per serving: Calories 74 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 38mg; Carbohydrate 17g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Protein 1g. based on 8 servings.