Heavenly Pie

Heavenly Pie (from Merle's kitchen)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
4 egg whites
4 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh)
1 T. lemon zest
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pint heavy cream
3 Tbsp. coconut (optional)

For Crust:

Sift sugar with cream of tartar. Separate eggs then beat whites until stiff, not dry, peaks form. Slowly add sugar while mixing. When mixture is stiff & glossy spread into a well greased 9" pie pan.

Bake meringue crust at 275° for 1 hour or until very light brown. Let cool completely.

For filling: 

Beat 4 egg yolks slightly. In a double boiler, stir in 1/2 c. sugar, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind & 1/8 tsp salt. Cook until thick (approximately 8-10 minutes).  Let cool. When almost cool, whip 1 cup of whipping cream to fold into lemon mixture. Add mixture to the cooled pie shell. Refrigerate for at lest 12 hours.