Boozy Lemon Drop Martini Pie Recipe

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The only thing better than drinking a sugary-sweet lemon drop martini might be eating it — that is, when it's in the form of a slice of pie. The lemon drop martini is a tart mixture of fresh lemon, citrusy triple sec, sweet simple syrup, and strong vodka, shaken with ice and strained into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. It's meant to be fun, bright, and boozy, perfect for both starting the night and ending it, thanks to being both sweet and citrusy. The drink can be considered a dessert on its own, but for those of us who like to have our cake and eat it, too, we dreamed up this boozy lemon drop pie recipe.

Our lemon drop pie, developed with Michelle McGlinn, combines lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk with Cointreau and eggs for a creamy, tart, thick, and tangy pie. The creamy lemon filling is sandwiched between a citrus-studded graham cracker crust and a Cointreau-spiked Italian meringue for a pie layered with bright, sweet flavor. Like a lemon meringue with a twist, this lemon drop pie makes the perfect nightcap for the end of a long day.

For the crust, you'll just need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and orange zest. Keep some orange zest around for the filling, for which you'll also need sweetened condensed milk, Cointreau (or any good triple sec), lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest. To make the meringue topping, use the whites from the eggs, then grab sugar, water, vanilla extract, and another splash of Cointreau. Garnish with plenty of lemon — lemon zest, lemon peels, or even lemon candies.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and orange zest in a bowl until the graham crackers are moist.

Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie tin gently until bottom and sides are firmly packed into a crust shape.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.

In the meantime, to make the filling, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, ¼ cup Cointreau, lemon juice, egg yolks, and citrus zests until fully combined.

Pour the lemon filling into the crust and smooth the top. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until jiggly but set.

Let the pie cool, then chill for 1 to 3 hours.

To make the meringue, first beat the egg whites to soft peaks using an electric whisk or stand mixer.

Bring the sugar, Cointreau, and water to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring until it begins to simmer.

Stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Boil until a candy thermometer reads 240 F.

Continue whipping the eggs on high speed and slowly pour the Cointreau syrup down the side of the bowl and into the egg whites. The egg whites will become glossy; continue whipping until you reach stiff peaks.

Add the vanilla and whisk to incorporate.

Top the chilled lemon pie with the Cointreau meringue.

Garnish with lemon candies and zest, if desired, and serve.

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Like whipped cream, meringue can be tricky to make. Beating enough air into the egg whites to create a solid foam can take some time, and stabilizing it into a whipped texture requires some science. At its simplest, meringue can be made with room temperature egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. This version of meringue is usually whipped to stiff peaks and used for meringues (plural), the light and airy baked cookies that are just a little crispy around the edges. If used as a topping, though, the eggs are still considered raw and may not be ideal for everyone to eat.

That's where Italian meringue comes in — in this version, the sugar is boiled with water to soft-ball stage. In candy making, this means that the syrup has reduced to a concentrated mixture that, when dropped into water, forms a ball shape. Not only will this density stabilize egg whites, but it is also a high enough temperature to technically cook the eggs, meaning that the meringue is no longer considered raw. The only trick? To avoid cooking the eggs too quickly — causing curds — pour the syrup slowly into the egg whites while whipping in order to make fluffy, smooth meringue.

We don't recommend trying to add any more Cointreau to the filling as you might risk compromising the taste or texture. While the lemon filling was developed to be perfectly citrusy and creamy with just the right amount of alcohol, the meringue, on the other hand, has a little more room for customization. Because the Cointreau will affect the sugar density in the syrup (plus the alcohol itself is boiled out), if you want a real, boozy pie, we recommend adding more Cointreau at the very end.

Do this one splash at a time: While adding the vanilla, continue whisking the egg whites and pour in an ounce of triple sec. Keeping the egg whites stable, whisk in another ounce, if desired. Do not over-whisk, and stop just as the triple sec is combined. And as for the vodka? We say leave that to the actual martini — vodka would add a bitter flavor to both the filling and the meringue.

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