Lemon Meringue Pie

Hi!
Told ya i'd update this week haha.  I made Lemon Meringue Pie for the very first time years ago, like maybe 7 years ago? Man, that makes me sound/feel old LOL.  I like how the meringue is all fluffy and it looks so light and crunchy.  So with that in mind, I made this Lemon Meringue Pie and I was looking forward to that crunchy top but it was soft when it came out of the oven!  My younger self was obviously disappointed and at the time, I just put it down to my fail baking skills and never attempted to make it again haha.

Now, in the present day, I like to think that my skills as a baker have slightly improved over the years so I was ready to attempt the Lemon Meringue Pie again.

The pastry turned out pretty good, a little burnt but it wasn't too dry or crumbly.  The lemon part set perfectly and had a good flavour.  All in all, it turned out quite well and all the flavours kind of balanced each other out BUT my meringue stayed soft and spongy and it burnt. Sadface.  Is there some Lemon Meringue Pie expert out there who can tell me if the meringue is supposed to go crunchy?? Because I know the meringue part of a pavlova goes crunchy...I don't know, maybe thats a different kind of meringue...Anyway, this is a quick and easy pie to make (if you pre-make the pastry) and it looks really nice (if you don't fail the meringue like I did lol).

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 175g plain flour
• 100g cold unsalted butter , cut in small pieces
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk

For the Lemon Filling

• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 100g caster sugar
• finely grated zest 2 large lemon
• 125ml fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
• juice 1 small orange
• 85g butter, cut into pieces
• 3 egg yolks and a 1 whole egg

For the Meringue

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 100g caster sugar

Method

1. For the pastry: Put the flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) and 1 tablespoon of cold water into a food processor. Pulse until the mix starts to bind. 
2. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather together until smooth, then roll out and line a pie dish. Trim and neaten the edges. The pastry is quite rich, so don't worry if it cracks, just press it back together. 
3. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, shiny side down, and chill for half an hour to an hour (or overnight).
4. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. 
5. Bake the pastry case 'blind' for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake a further 5-8 mins until the pastry is pale golden and cooked. Set aside. (Can be done a day ahead if you want to get ahead.)
6. Lower the oven to 180ºC.
7. While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling: 
8. Mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. 
9. Strain and stir the lemon juice gradually into the pan. 
10. Make orange juice up to 200ml with water and strain into the pan. 
11. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. 
12. Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. 
13. Beat the egg yolks (save white for meringue) and whole egg together, stir into the pan and return to a medium heat. Keep stirring vigorously for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens and plops from the spoon. (It will bubble, but doesn't curdle.) 
14. Take off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue.
15. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Beat until soft peaks form, slowly add caster sugar a little at a time, beating well until thick meringue is formed.  
16. Quickly reheat the filling and pour it into the pastry case. 
17. Immediately put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling then spread so it just touches the pastry. Pile the rest into the centre, spreading so it touches the surface of the hot filling, then give it all a swirl. 
18. Return to the oven for 18-20 mins at 180ºC until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit in the tin for 30 mins, then remove and leave for at least another half hour to an hour before slicing. 

Wow! 18 steps makes it seem like an epic recipe but if you have pre-made pastry, it saves a lot of time.

Ok I need sleep now.  Bye!

♡ B