Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites at medium speed until foamy (about 2 minutes.)
Add cream of tartar and salt.Beat egg white mixture on high speed until they hold their shape. Scrape bowl occasionally.
Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat egg whites 3-5 minutes more until they are light, fluffy, glossy and stiff peaks form.
Draw a 10-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper or part of a brown paper bag. Pile meringue in the circle. Form the meringue shell with the back of a spoon by creating a well in the center. Continue shaping the shell by widening the meringue valley with the back of a spoon. Try to create high sides to hold the filling.
Bake at 275 degrees for one hour. Don’t open oven door. Let dry in oven without opening door for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Remove the meringue from oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
For Lemon Curd
Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar for 2 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow.Then, whisk in cornstarch and salt, making sure there are no lumps.
Add lemon juice, water, lemon zest, and melted butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
Pour mixture into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk mixture continuously for 7 minutes, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds. The mixture should deepen in color and become very thick.
Remove from heat and whisk for 1 minute more. Pour in bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour.
Cream for Lemon Mousse & Topping:
In a large bowl beat 2 cups cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Divide in half (half for mousse and half for topping).Gently fold in lemon curd into half of whipping cream to create a lemon mousse.
To Assemble
Fill cooled meringue shell with lemon mousse. Spread evenly. Top lemon mousse with reserved whipping cream. Pile in middle of pie, leaving a 2 inch border of mousse showing.
Video
Notes
Cut pie with a thin sharp knife. To cut slices, use a thin, sharp knife with a long blade. Wipe knife off between slices to get clean cuts.
Serve pie within 24 hours. Lemon angel pie looks it’s best if served within 24 hours. After that, whipping cream on top could begin to separate and meringue will start to soften.
Store in fridge without cream. To keep longer in refrigerator, wait and add whipping cream garnish just before serving. The lemon tart will keep well up to 48 hours in fridge without cream topping.
Store leftover lemon pie in refrigerator. Leftover pie will keep up to three days in fridge. It will not look as good as it did at the beginning, but it will still taste delicious!
Don’t freeze the meringue tart. Lemon angel pie does not freeze well.