Lemon Meringue Pie
This summery classic is made up of three delicious components: buttery shortcrust pastry, zingy lemon curd filling and thick cloud like meringue - YUM. Despite having three different components this recipe is straight forward and can be made using most of your everyday cupboard ingredients so its definitely worth a try. The key to this pie is using the freshest lemon you can find for the best lemon flavour.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
For the Lemon filling:
80g corn flour
180g caster sugar
120ml fresh lemon juice
250ml water
2 tsp lemon zest
3 egg yolks
60g butter
For the Meringue:
4 egg whites
120g cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt or cream of tartar
Method:
Pastry
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Begin by preparing the pastry case. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and then roll onto a 9" buttered flan tin. Do not trim the excess pastry instead place the whole tin onto a baking tray.
Scrunch up a large piece of grease proof paper and then open it up again and put it in the flan tin; place roughly two large handfuls of rice or baking beans into the grease proof paper and blind bake in the preheated oven a for 10 minutes.
Remove the grease proof paper and bake for further 10-15 minutes until the pastry is baked and golden brown. Remove form the oven and allow to cool.
Once cooled trim the exes pastry, this will give a the case a clean edge. Remove the pastry case from the tin and place on a serving dish.
Next prepare the lemon filling:
Whilst the pastry is cooling in a small sauce pan stir together the water, lemon juice, sugar and corn flour until all the corn flour has dissolved. Then over a medium heat bring the mixture to a boil stirring the mixture continuously until it thickens.
Add the lemon zest and butter and then add the yolks stirring everything very quickly so that the yolks don't cook.
Pour the filling into the pastry case and spread evenly. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile prepare the meringue.
Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6, if you have blow torch you do not need to do this step.
In a large clean glass bowl whip the 4 egg whites with an electric whisk on low until the egg whites are foamy and have doubled in size. Whisk in the salt or cream of tartar and continue whisking until it reaches soft peaks.
Whisk the egg whites in low gradually adding the sugar 1 tsp at a time until the meringue reaches stiff peaked and look thick and glossy.
Spoon large dollops of the meringue on top of the cooled tart and spread gently to the edges of the tart so as to keep volume in the meringue.
Place the pie in the oven for 5 minutes until the meringue peaks brown slightly. Alternatively brown the meringue with a blow torch.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
