Kentucky Bourbon Pie
4 teaspoons gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup sugar
7 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons boiling water
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup best-quality Kentucky bourbon
1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 10-inch pie shell, baked

In a small bowl, stir the gelatin into the cold water. Set it aside to soften.

In a heavy saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is pale yellow and smooth. Place the pan over a medium heat and heat thoroughly; do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir the boiling water into the softened gelatin and mix thoroughly. Add the gelatin to the egg mixture, along with the lemon zest and juice. Add the bourbon and mix well.

In a chilled bowl, whip the cream until it is stiff. Set aside one quarter of the whipped cream and fold the rest into the egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, beating until the whites form a stiff meringue. Fold them gently into the egg mixture. Stir in the vanilla.

Spoon the filling evenly into the baked pie shell and refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

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