A New Circus Pony & Pie

First, how's this for a lemon meringue pie?? I am not a fan of most things lemon, but I do love lemon meringue pie. And lemonade. Oh, and lemon bars. But that's it. Nothing else lemony for me.

I was happy with how the pie turned out (it's tricky to make) and Craig was happy with how it tasted. Win-win! I first made this umpteen years ago for his 37th birthday and it is his favorite pie. So worth the effort it takes to make. The recipe can be found at the end of the post.

I have added another circus pony to the herd - a Head Down Hagen Renaker Circus Pony in yellow.

I'd gone over to eBay to look for Freeman Leidys and this piece popped up in my search.

The Buy It Now price was half of the usual asking price and the seller had excellent ratings, so I bought it.

He has lovely shading and a scalloped bridle and harness, although their detail is not as good as others I've had.

This is my third Head Down in yellow and all are in mint condition. (The new one is on the right.)

The one on the left has the best shading and detail of the three; the new one would be the second best.

All three have really nice gold hearts on their harnesses, and those shapes vary just a little among them. (I love variations!)

That brings my total of HR Circus Ponies to seventeen - nine Head Ups and eight Head Downs. And I am still looking for more - I am missing a few  harness colors.

Here's the recipe for the lemon meringue pie. Send me a picture if you make it!

Craig's Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. hot water

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and flour in a saucepan. Gradually add hot water, stirring constantly. (I use a whisk.) Cook and stir over moderate heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook two more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

More Ingredients

3 beaten egg yolks

2 T. butter (I slice into patties)

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 9" baked pie crust. (I prefer a deep dish one.)

A little at a time, stir the hot mixture into the egg yolks. When the egg yolks are hot, add them back into the rest of the mixture and bring it back to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook two minutes (or up to eight minutes for a creamier consistency.) Remover from heat and add butter and stir until it melts. Slowly add lemon juice, mixing well. Pour into baked pie shell.

Meringue Topping

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 t. cream of tartar

6 T. sugar

Whip egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar on high until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add sugar, whipping until stiff and peaks begin to form. Spread over hot lemon filling making sure the meringue goes all the way to the edges. Bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes or until the meringue topping is lightly browned. Let cool before eating.