Cookie Crust for Lemon Pie

What do you do with a tub of snickerdoodles that was left open while you were in New York City (with a blizzard, by the way) for four days...

The blizzard was only ONE day. The cookies, left in the hands of mere mortal man, were left open for the duration. So of course they're rock hard, but who wants to waste all that cookie goodness?

Not me!

Cookie crust....

I blended all of them in my Cuisinart food processor until they were fine crumbs.... and by the way, my Cuisinart was part of the mega blade recall months ago, and no new blade has arrived here as yet, so yes... I used DEATH BLADE.

Back to cookies:

4 cups cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons Lemon Extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine all, press into 9 or 10" pie pan, bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Now the filling: I was using the Betty Crocker recipe and adjusted it for my bigger pie pan... but it came out too sweet, so I'm adjusting it here.

Mix together in 3 quart saucepan:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
______________________

Add in:

1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Mix 2/3 cup of sugar mix with beaten egg yolks, beating as you mix... then combine
3 large egg yolks (put in small ball and whisk lightly.... )

Add in:
1/3 cup lemon juice (again)
3 tablespoons butter

Return to heat, boil and stir for one minute.

Pour into baked pie shell. Pile meringue on top and bake at 400° until top is golden brown.

Meringue:
3 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg whites until foamy, add sugar and beat until firm peaks form... spread over hot lemon filling and bake until golden brown on top.

OH MY STARS!!!!

There is nothing like lemon meringue pie.... it's got that amazingly delicious springlike entity of lemony goodness!

So life here has been filled with normal family crazy, a few bugs as a salute to the end of winter, and a hope for spring when we notice the days are starting to stretch l-o-n-g-e-r.... YAY!!!!!

Ruth Logan Herne (known around here as The Yank) loves writing sweet stories of faith, hope and love from her frosty cold farmhouse in Western New York.... and cooking and baking (but not cleaning, that is not in this girl's wheelhouse)

Although she does do windows.... :)

Find her on the web at ruthloganherne.com, friend her on facebook as Ruth Logan Herne or @ruthloganherne on Twitter...