Pie lemon

CRUST: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold vegan butter and work it through with clean fingers until the dough resembles bread crumbs, Add the water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, kneading after each addition, until the mixture forms into a ball.

Lightly dust a cutting board with flour. Place your ball of dough on top and press it into a flat, round disk. Cover with an inverted bowl and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge, place it on a well-floured surface, and roll it out so that it's about 12 inches in diameter.

Carefully transfer it to a 9-9.5" glass pie dish and press it up the sides. Remove or fold down any overhang. Prick holes in the bottom with a fork. Place it in the freezer for 5 minutes, then bake it for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. I let mine cool overnight, uncovered, at room temperature.

FILLING: Place all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until totally smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and whisk continuously until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. It goes from not-thick to THICK really fast, so keep whisking until the mixture is noticeably thicker. Once thick, pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and let set, at least 15 minutes.

MERINGUE TOPPING: Pour the aquafaba into the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture holds soft peaks, 5-10 minutes.

With the motor still running, add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks. It will take another 10-20 minutes of beating. If you think you have stiff enough peaks but you aren't sure, hold the bowl upside down; if the meringue stays put, it's ready.

ASSEMBLE: Spoon the meringue on top of the pie, making sure that it touches all of the sides. Make little peaks as you go. Bake for 5 minutes (this will just set the top), then carefully brûlée it with a kitchen torch if you have one. You can also increase your oven temperature to 400 degrees F and place your pie under a broiler for the final minute of cooking.

Allow it to fully cool on a cooling rack (I placed mine in the fridge because I'm impatient), and serve! Best eaten the day it's made. The bottom gets a bit watery if you keep it overnight.

NOTES

*My lemons were tiny and I LOVE lemon zest, so I zested two!
**Stick a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. It'll separate into solids (coconut cream) and liquids (coconut water). You just need the coconut cream for this recipe.
***I wanted my pie a bit yellower, so I added just a pinch more turmeric. The color deepens after you cook the filling.
****1 standard 15-oz. can should give you enough aquafaba for this recipe, but you can buy two cans just to be safe.