Lemon Meringue has always been a staple dessert in my house, with my mother making the best one out of everyone I know. It can seem daunting making it the first time around, especially making the lemon curd from scratch, but is actually far simpler than you'd think. I personally like a proper strong lemon flavour, but you can always adjust the amount of lemon if you prefer a subtler taste.
The below recipe makes a 26cm pie.
Ingredients
Pie Dough
113gr margarine
226gr plain flour
1tsp sugar
2-5tbsp cold water
Lemon Curd
43gr margarine
Zest of 2 large lemons
Juice of 2 large lemons
43gr cornflour
375ml water
3 egg yolks
170gr sugar
Meringue
3 egg whites
128gr castor sugar
Method
1. Making the dough. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. In a large bowl, combine the flour, margarine, and sugar, rubbing the ingredients between your fingers until it resembles wet sand. Add water a tablespoon at a time, kneading as you go until a smooth dough forms. Do not add all the water at the same time.
2. Grease your pie tin and roll out the dough. Place the rolled out dough into the pie tin, pressing it down against the sides and bottom. Leave a few millimetres of dough hanging off the edge, as the dough will sink. Pierce a few holes into the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up. Bake blind for around 15 minutes, or until just golden. Do not switch off the oven, and turn the heat up to 200 degrees celsius.
3. To make the lemon curd. Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and zest.
4. In a small bowl, take around 10 tablespoons of the water and add it to the cornflour to create a slurry. Add the rest of the water to the butter and lemon mixture, still over medium heat.
5. Add the sugar and stir until around dissolved. Keep the heat going and add the egg yolks, stirring them in as soon as they hit the mixture so they don't curdle. Add the cornflour slurry and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Set the lemon curd aside.
6. Making the meringue. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks just about start to form. Start adding the sugar in batches, so as not to deflate the egg whites. Whip until the sugar has more or less dissolved (rub some of the meringue between your fingers to gauge if the sugar has dissolved). You'll be left with glossy egg whites.
7. Assembling the lemon meringue. Pour the lemon curd into the pre-baked pie base. Spoon the meringue on top of the lemon curd gently, and spread the meringue around until the curd is entirely covered. I personally go the organic route - no piping nozzles. I just create some texture using a baking spatula. Sprinkle some sugar on top.
10. Place the lemon meringue in the oven for around 5-10 minutes, or until the meringue peaks are golden brown. Do not leave the kitchen, as this will likely happen very quickly. Allow the lemon meringue to sit at room temperature overnight, as it needs to set.
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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