Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon, meringue and short-crust pastry are the three favourite dessert ingredients at our house right now. My Official Treat Taster’s mother is staying with us for a while, so I’m whirling myself into a frenzy trying to whip up as many desserts as possible which incorporate the ‘magic three’. Unfortunately, I’m lucking out a bit because I don’t like meringue, I just can’t get excited about short-crust pastry, and I can take or leave lemons.

So although I personally didn’t think much of this Lemon Meringue Pie, I have been assured that it’s fantastic. If you’re into the ‘magic three’ then this dessert is definitely for you. It’s  a wonderful spring dessert, combining a buttery, crumbly crust with a soft light meringue and swirling with citrus flavours.

When my pie came out of the oven it was a little soggy, so I have changed the recipe accordingly so it shouldn’t be as soggy for you. Also, make sure your filling is really thick so you can spread it onto your pastry base instead of pouring it on.  

Lemon Meringue Pie
Adapted from Delia Smith's recipe

Ingredients

Pastry:

110g plain flour

Pinch salt

35g sugar

25g butter

25g lard

Filling:

275ml water

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

4 tablespoons cornflour

50g sugar

3 egg yolks

40g butter

Meringue:

3 egg whites

175g sugar

Recipe

Pastry:

Sieve the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt and sugar. Chop the butter and lard into small cubes and add to the flour. Rub in with your hands until you have coarse breadcrumbs. Add a tablespoon of cold water at a time (you should only need 1 or 2) until your pastry comes together. Pop into a plastic bag and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.

When fully chilled, roll the pastry out ½ inch (1cm) larger than the rim of you tin. Cut an additional ½ inch (1cm) strip from the edge of the pastry. Dampen the rim of your tin with water and fix the strip around it, pressing down well. Place the pastry circle in the bottom of the tin and press it against the pastry rim to secure it. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake on a high self for 20-25 minutes. Remove the pastry case when fully cooked and lower the temperature to 300F/150C.

Filling:

Measure 275ml cold water into a jug. Spoon the cornflour and sugar into a bowl and add enough of the cold water to mix it into a smooth paste. Pour the rest of the water into a saucepan with the lemon zest. Bring this to the boil over a medium heat then pour it onto the cornflour, mixing constantly until it is smooth.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring back to the boil, still mixing constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, lemon juice and butter. Pour the filling into the pastry shell and spread it out evenly.

Meringue:

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in ¼ of the sugar sugar at a time until it is all incorporated. Spread the meringue on top of the filling, making sure to cover the edges of the pastry and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.



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