August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

If you're looking for something to do today then I hope you saved room for dessert because it's National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

Oh yes, it's time to satisfy that sweet tooth again!

Let's get right into celebrating National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

Why is this a holiday?

If you've never had lemon meringue pie, or even if you don't like lemons, then I'm sure you're probably wondering why this is a holiday. But honestly... you should try this pie! Try it out and you might know instantly why someone would want to celebrate it. You do know what a food holiday means, right? It means you have an excuse to eat that food all day and not feel guilty about it one bit. And that's pretty much why people set up these holidays; they love lemon meringue pie so much that they want to have a special day set aside just for eating it!

The lemon meringue pie that we enjoy today has only really been around since the 19th century, but lemon pies were eaten way back in Medieval times. And meringue popped up in the 17th century. But it wasn't until Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker, decided to combine the two that the first lemon meringue pie was made. At least the first lemon meringue pie we have on record.

To make a lemon meringue pie you start out with a graham cracker or shortbread crust. Then you whip up your lemon curd filling, which is usually made from things like egg yolks and lemon juice. You pour that into the crust and then you start making the meringue, which is the cream on top. All you need for that is usually some egg whites and sugar, which is whipped up until it's stiff and creamy because of the air it absorbs. Then spread that cream on top, sealing the lemon curd in the crust and make a pretty design in the cream if you want. Since you're going to bake it for a little, and the top of your meringue cream will brown, if you make a design with peaks on it then all the peaks will be brown.

Are you ready to make your own?

So, how can you celebrate today?

Well, since this pie is so popular, you can easily head to almost any restaurant and be sure that they have it on their menu. But hey, it never hurts to call ahead just in case they don't! So plan on having a nice dinner served to you tonight and then round off your meal with a slice of lemon meringue pie. This is always the most relaxing way to celebrate food holidays.

But you are more than welcome to make your own! It really is a quick pie to make and it is so rewarding to have a full pie just begging you to eat it. The one I made took longer to cool it down than it did to make it, which is a big plus! So find yourself a good recipe, go pick up what you need at the grocery store and get ready for something delicious to pass over your tongue.

And if you're really hungry today then why don't you have a pie eating contest? Tell your friends you want to have a contest and each of you will make your own pie at home and then bring it to where you want to compete. You each will eat your own pie and see who can eat it the fastest, which means you better be a good cook or it might take you longer! But what does the winner get, right? Well, all the losers have to make the winner their version of lemon meringue pie! So, if you win, you end up with a few different versions of lemon meringue pie... you can't beat that!

Have a great day and enjoy your pie!