Sugar Free Lemon Meringue Pie-With or without crust

You are making a crust first… then a meringue… then the lemon filling… and putting them together and baking. You can also pour two inches of lemon filling into small foil or heatproof glass ramekins, top with meringue and bake without a crust!
 

• 5 eggs, separated (yolks for filling and whites for meringue)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons Truvia Baking blend(or other sweetener)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
Beat reserved egg whites until soft peaks form – gradually add 3 tablespoons Truvia and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes – set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, remaining Truvia, and salt. Whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Cook thickened mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture. You are doing this to gently heat the egg yolks before adding them to the hot mixture in the pan as if you simply poured them into the pan they would instantly scramble.)
Return warmed egg mixture to saucepan, turn reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour hot lemon mixture into pie shell and top with meringue, placing dollops around edges of pie first to seal to the crust – then fill in center – smooth leaving slightly higher in center.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.