Lemon Meringue Pie
A delicious tart with a refreshing lemon filling, topped with soft, sweet meringue.
Ingredients
ready-made shortcrust pastry (chilled)
225 g
egg yolks (medium sized)
2
lemons (washed unwaxed)
2
cold water
275 ml
granulated sugar
225 g
cornflour
60 g
egg whites (medium size at room temperature)
2
cream of tartar
½ tsp
caster/superfine sugar
60 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the pastry crust
Preheat the oven to 190˚C, 375˚F, or gas mark 5. On a floured work surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the pastry. Turn the pastry occasionally and sprinkle a little extra flour underneath as needed. Roll it to approximately 3mm thick, about 1 inch wider than the base of the tart tin.
2
Blind bake the pastry crust
Line the bottom and sides of the tart tin with the pastry, making sure to press it into the corners. Use a knife to trim off any excess pastry from the edges. Cover the tart tin with a sheet of aluminum foil, then fill it with baking beans or dried beans. The beans prevent the pastry from puffing up, shrinking too much, or losing its shape. Place in the top of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, then bake for a further 5 minutes until it is a light golden brown and fully cooked.
3
Make the lemon filling
Grate the zest of 2 lemons into a medium-sized saucepan, taking care not to grate the white pith as it is bitter and will ruin the flavor. Cut the lemons in half and juice them completely with a juicer, removing all seeds! Add the lemon juice to the saucepan, then stir in the cornflour and cold water. Stir over high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and keep stirring for 30 seconds until it reaches a glue-like thick consistency. Take the pan off the heat, add all the granulated sugar and 2 egg yolks. Stir, then return to medium heat and bring back to a boil, stirring until it has the consistency of lemon curd. Pour the filling into the baked pastry crust and let it cool.
4
Make the meringue
Set the oven to 150˚C, 300˚F, or gas mark 2. Whisk the 2 egg whites and cream of tartar together until they are light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the caster/superfine sugar while whisking to form a stiff meringue.
5
Assemble and bake
Spoon the meringue over the cooled lemon filling, making sure it touches the edges of the pastry crust to create a seal. Tap the surface with the back of a spoon to form peaks. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until it is a light beige color, but do not let it brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.
