Trash Pie - An Experiment Gone Wrong

I made my first pie disaster. It actually ended up in the trash. Luckily it was only for my family; no one else had to suffer.

I have lots of lemons (like in October, 2005 - see first lemon slice pie attempt) and decided to experiment. I like the idea of the lemon slice pie, because it is so easy, so I thought I would try a variation. This time I decided to put the lemons through the food processor. Before you think I am crazy. James Beard in American Cookery actually suggests this. It turns out AWFUL. I also had some Steen's Cane Syrup from New Orleans. It is more like a light molasses than the Tate and Lyle syrup.

This is the pie that I made - DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT try this at home...

Pie:

• 1 and a little cup of chopped lemon. Around 3.
• 1 1/2 c water
• 2 cups of Steen's Cane Syrup
  
• 3 egg yolks
• 7 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T butter

Meringue:

• 3 whites
• 1 t cream of tartar
• 6 T sugar
  

Bake a 1 crust pie shell and have it cool. Simmer the lemons in the water for 10 minutes until the rind is soft. Add 1 c syrup and let it simmer. Mix the rest of the syrup with the egg yolks, flour and salt. Stir some of the lemon mixture into the yolk mixture. Then pour all the yolk mixture in the simmering pan. Cook over low heat until clear. Add the butter and cool to room temp. Pour into the crust.

Whip the eggs until they form soft peaks. Whip in the cream of tartar. Whip to peaks. Slowly whip in the sugar.

Put the meringue on.

Okay my second mistake, after chopping the lemons, was that I refrigerated the pie. It made the meringue shrink and weep. It looked horrible. I still tried to eat it. It tasted horrible too. It was brown and goopy. When you bit into it you inevitably bit into some sour, bitter rind. Or if you were luckier a seed. Terrible. Thank goodness it wasn't for a dinner party. I threw it out with the trash.