This lemon pie without meringue uses a buttery shortbread crust filled with a tangy bright and fresh lemon filling and skips the lemon meringue altogether.
Combine the butter, flour, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press firmly into a pie dish. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers and flattening with the back of a spoon if needed.
Bake for 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Lemon Filling
In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks.
In a separate medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt, water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Place on medium heat and bring to a simmer.
While whisking the egg yolks constantly, add ⅓ to ½ of the simmering lemon juice mixture to the egg yolks. Then add the egg yolk mixture back into the sauce pan and return to medium heat, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Keep in mind that stovetop temperatures can be very temperamental. The actual temperature and the impact on the food depends on the stove that you are using (gas vs electric), brand, size of the burner, size and thickness of the saucepan, etc. Pay more attention to what is actually happening in your saucepan and how quickly it his happening than this 2-3 minute gauge (which is just a starting point, not a firm guideline). You want the mixture to thicken so that it is no longer very runny. It will thicken more as it cools. This lemon filling should be thicker than if you’re making a mousse or pudding which can be softer and creamier. You want this lemon filling not to spill out of your pie when you cut a slice but stay firmly “in the slice”.
Assembling the Pie
Pour the filling into the pie crust. Allow to cool slightly on the countertop, then cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge overnight. Serve cold or cool, with whipped cream if desired.