Lemon Meringue Pie
The sharpness of lemon combined with a vanilla meringue topping makes this pie a legendary family favourite.
Ingredients
55g butter, cut into cubes, save 10g for greasing
400g sweet shortcrust pastry
4 tbs plain flour, save 1tbs for dusting
6 eggs, at room temperature, separated
3 tbs cornflour
400g caster sugar
3 lemons, juice only
1 tbs lemon zest, finely grated
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line the tin.
- Line the pastry with baking parchment, then fill with baking beans. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until pale golden. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for 5 minutes until golden all over. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Leave the case to cool slightly.
- Place the egg yolks in a bowl and lightly beat. Combine the cornflour, flour, and 225g of the sugar in a saucepan. Slowly add 360 ml of water and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and there are no lumps. Increase the heat slightly and stir for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Beat several spoonfuls of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Pour this back into the pan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring. Boil for 3 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice, zest, and butter. Boil for another 2 minutes or until thick and glossy, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat; cover to keep warm.
- Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Sprinkle over the cream of tartar and whisk, adding the remaining sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Add the vanilla with the last of the sugar, whisking until thick and glossy.
- Place the pastry case on a baking tray, pour in the lemon filling, then top with the meringue, spreading it to cover the filling up to the pastry edge. Take care not to spill it over the pastry, or the tart will be hard to remove from the tin.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Turn out of the tin to serve.