Lemon Meringue Pie

Recipe by: Michelle Darmody

This pie can be made with or without the meringue. I like to choose an option in between and pipe some meringue swirls on top but not cover the lemon completely.

Lemon Meringue Pie

SERVES

10

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

20

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

55

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • pastry:

  • 140g cold butter, cubed

  • a pinch of fine sea salt

  • 225g plain flour, sieved

  • 60g golden caster sugar

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  • lemon filling:

  • 6 eggs

  • 250g golden caster sugar

  • 200mls double cream

  • juice 5 lemons, zest 3 lemons

  • meringue topping:

  • 2 egg whites

  • 100g golden caster sugar

  • 1 tsp cornflour, sieved

Method

  1. Add the salt to the sieved flour and stir them together in a large bowl. Add the small cubes of butter and rub them into the flour until it looks like rough breadcrumbs.

  2. Stir the sugar into the egg to dissolve it slightly and add this to the flour mixture until it comes together as a dough.

  3. Wrap the pastry dough in baking parchment and place into the fridge to firm up for about two hours.

  4. After two hours grease and flour the sides of a 9-inch loose based tart case and line the base with parchment. Preheat your oven to 190ÂșC/gas mark 5.

  5. To make the filling lightly whisk the eggs and the sugar until well combined. Whisk in the cream and the lemon zest and juice. Set aside.

  6. Roll out the pastry to about three millimetres in thickness. Roll it into a disc a few cm larger than your tart tin and gently nudge it into the tin. Do not stretch the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Put a disc of parchment paper into the tart case and fill this with baking beans.

  7. Bake the tart case blind for 14 minutes until the edges are just starting to colour.

  8. While it is baking, pour the filling through a sieve and then into a jug. Bang the jug on a countertop a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.

  9. Remove the beans and parchment and bake the case for a further five minutes until it startsm to turn golden.

  10. Lower the oven temperature to 140ÂșC/gas mark 1.

  11. Gently take the tart out of the oven and fill it from the jug. Place it back in and bake the filling for 35-40 minutes until the top is set.

  12. While it is baking you can make your meringue. Break and separate the eggs one at a time making sure that you do not get any yolk in the whites. Whisk the whites until they foam and add half of the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine them well after each addition. Whisk in the sieved cornflour then repeat the same with the rest of the sugar. The mixture should be smooth and thick, and form peaks easily.

  13. Add the meringue to a piping bag and pipe some swirls onto your tart while the filling is still warm. Use a blow torch to brown the top of the meringue and the lemon too if you like a crisp finish.

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