Strawberry Lemonade Icebox Pie

This pie looks super impressive and sexy, but it's actually super easy! It is also super sweet, be warned. And, it's a touch hard to cut because of the graham cracker crust, but the slices don't need to be neat to taste good!

This is only the second pie I've made from my Martha Stewart summer of pies magazine article. Making them all may have a been a bit ambitious, but this was a good one!



Strawberry Lemonade Icebox Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

For the crust
Vegetable oil cooking spray
9 to 10 graham crackers, broken into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
Salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue), plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse salt

For the topping
12 ounces strawberries, sliced (2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 large egg whites, room temperature

1. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
   
2. Pulse crackers in a food processor until finely ground; measure 1 1/3 cups, and discard excess.
   
3. Pulse cracker crumbs, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in food processor to combine.
   
4. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is moist and holds together when pressed between 2 fingers.
5. Press crust evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate using the bottom of a dry measuring cup.
   
6. Freeze for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 while crust freezes.
   
7. Bake crust until firm and turning darker around edges, 10 to 11 minutes.
   
8. While crust bakes, start the filling. Whisk together condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks and egg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
9. Remove crust from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
10. Pour filling into warm piecrust. Bake until center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. (Note: I baked mine longer, probably closer to 35 - 40 min, I think my pie plate was smaller than 9 inches and therefore deeper!)
11. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
12. To make the topping, slice up the strawberries and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and the lemon juice.
    
13. Give a stir and let stand for 30 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, heat egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. (Note: If you're worried about making meringue from raw egg whites, heat the egg whites to 160 at this point while you dissolve the sugar! I didn't bother checking the temp so I don't know if mind really got to 160, but I've safely made meringues and swiss meringue buttercream frosting using this method before!)
    
15. Transfer to mixer, and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, 8 to 9 minutes.
16. Position an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the broiler while your meringue whips.
    
17. Spoon strawberries over pie.
    
18. Spoon meringue over top of strawberries and place pie under broiler AND DON'T LEAVE IT until meringue is just browned.
19. Eat the pie!