Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients
2 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
1 1/4 cupssugar
7 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cups cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cups vegetable shortening, cold
5 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cups lemon juice
1 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs, separated

Directions

Make the crust: Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut 3/4 cup butter and the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers, until a coarse meal forms. Stir in 4 to 6 tablespoons of iced water until dough is just combined and holds together when pressed. Transfer to a clean surface and gather the dough into a ball and flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to overnight. (Chilled dough may be frozen for up to 3 months.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim away the excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the edges under and crimp along the rim. Prick the bottom of the dough several times with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Make the filling: Whisk the cornstarch, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water together in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, zest, and yolks and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken -- about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and strain into the prepared crust.
Make the meringue: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 5 tablespoons sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue to beat until the whites have increased to about six times the volume and are glossy and firm. (The whites will make pointy peaks when pulled up with the beaters or whisk.) Spread the meringue over the filling, to touch the crust edge. Bake until the meringue is golden brown -- 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.