DAY 51, LEMON MERINGUE PIE

My favourite, full stop.

Lemon Meringue Pie, set amongst the 'End of Lockdown' celebration dinner table

Ingredients

200g flour

100g cold butter, cubed

big pinch salt

1 egg 

1 tbsp cold water

3 lemons, zest and juice (approx. 100mls)

3 large egg yolks

35g cornflour

70g sugar

35g butter, room temperature

350mls water

3 large egg whites
pinch salt

170g sugar

Put flour, cold butter and pinch of salt into a food processor and whizz to make breadcrumbs

Add an egg and a tbsp water and whizz again to make a soft dough. Form into a disc. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1/2hr

Meanwhile, put lemon zest & juice, cornflour and sugar into a heavy based pan. 

Mix to a smooth paste and add the 350mls water

Heat very gently, stirring frequently until bubbling. Keep whisking until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little

the cornflour looses it's opaque appearance once it's cooked

Separate the eggs carefully (easiest with cold eggs) - yolks in one bowl and whites in another 

Add the egg YOLKS, one at a time, whisking well between each addition

Add the soft butter, and whisk well. Set to one side to cool

Preheat the oven to 190ºC

Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out on a floured surface, to 1cm larger than the baking tin, turning between rolls to form a circle.

Roll pastry around the rolling pin to lift it onto the baking tin

Press into the base of the tin and flutes so it fits snuggly

Trim the edges with a sharp knife and patch as necessary!

Prick the base with a fork, line with foil and weight with baking beans

I use (and reuse) dried pulses

Bake 'blind' for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully lift out the baking beans using the foil (you can reuse the baking beans over and over again)

Paint the pastry with a little of the lemon mixture to seal it. Bake for a further 5 minutes

Pour the lemon mixture (probably still warm and quite thick now) into the pastry case. Level and smooth. Cover and chill to form a firm set.

Set oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).

To make the meringue, pour the 4 egg whites in to bowl. Whisk with a pinch of salt (this helps to stabilise the meringue) on medium power until very soft peaks appear. Add the sugar, a little at a time until it is all incorporated

 The meringue will be quite stiff and holding peaks very easily.

Spread onto the lemon and pastry tart, forming peaks with the end of a spoon.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown