Pies and Tarts Dessert Recipes - Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Ingredients

• 175 g/6 oz/1 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• A pinch of salt

• 90 g/3 1/2 oz/scant 1/2 cup butter, diced

• 25 g/1 oz/3 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar

• 3 eggs

• Finely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

• 30 ml/2 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)

• 150 g/5 oz/2/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

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Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add 75g/3 oz/1/3 cup of the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Stir in the icing sugar. Beat one of the eggs and mix in to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface.

3. Wrap in Clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out and use to line a 20 cm/8 in flan tin (pie pan).

4. Fill with crumpled foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes to dry out.

5. Make the lemon rind and juice up to 300 ml/1/2 pt/1 1/4 cups with water. Blend a little with the corn flour in a saucepan.

6. Stir in the remaining liquid and 25 g/ 1 oz/2 tbsp of the caster sugar. Separate the remaining eggs and whisk the egg yolks into the saucepan.

7. Add the remaining butter. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time, until thickened. Turn into the cooked flan case (pie shell).

8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in half the remaining sugar and whisk again until stiff and glossy.

9. Fold in the remaining sugar and pile the meringue on top of the lemon mixture, spreading right to the edges.

10. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 and cook the pie for about 20 minutes until crisp on top and pale golden brown. Serve warm or cold.