In a medium large saucepan mix together sugar and egg yolks.  Add in lemon juice and cook over medium heat until thick and coats the back of the spoon.  Do not let it boil if you can help it, it will make the eggs in the curd curdle.  Remove from heat.

Strain the curd through a mesh strainer.  Stir in vanilla and lemon zest.  Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the curd.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Over a pan of simmering water, whisk together egg whites and granulated sugar until mixture reaches at least 145 degrees.

Using the whisk attachment of the stand mixture, beat the egg white and sugar mixture until stiff peaks form.  Add in vanilla and beat to combine.  Don't be concerned if this takes a long time.  The egg whites are cooling as they are being beaten.

Unroll pie crust.

Using a circular cookie cutter, cut out circles of pie crust about 3 inches in diameter (this size will vary depending on the size of your mini cupcake pan).

If you do not have a circular cookie cutter, you can use a drinking glass about that size.  You may need to reroll the pie crust to get more circles.

Tuck the circles of dough into your mini muffin pan.

Prick the dough on the bottom and sides with a fork.  Bake crusts at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, pop crusts out of pan.  It will be easier to take them out now than when your whole pie is assembled.

Spoon lemon curd into the pie shells.  Pipe meringue on top of the lemon curd.  I used a #21 Wilton tip.

Using a creme brulee torch, lightly go over the meringue to brown it.  If you do not have a creme brulee torch, you can put the pies on a cookie sheet and stick them in the oven under the boiler for like a minute.  Pay very close attention if you do this.  I had a friend set her whole lemon meringue pie on fire using this method.