Lemon Meringue Pie

As this pastry is so short, it’s in danger of breaking up when you are trying to roll it out.
If this
happens, try coarsely grating it directly into the tin and then quickly pressing the pastry
up thesides and into the shape of the tin. No one will ever know the difference!

Serves 6–8

Pastry:
 175g (6oz) plain flour, extra for dusting
 100g (4oz) butter, chilled and diced, extra for greasing
 50g (2oz) caster sugar
 pinch of salt
 1 egg yolk
 ½ tbsp cream

Filling:
 finely grated rind and juice of 3 lemons
 4 tbsp cornflour
 175g (6oz) caster sugar
 50g (2oz) butter, softened
 4 egg yolks

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Meringue:
 3 egg whites
 150g (5oz) caster sugar
 whipped cream, to serve

To make the pastry, place the flour, butter, sugar and salt into a food processor and
blend for 20 seconds. Add the egg yolk and cream and blend again until the dough just
comes together. Do not overwork or the pastry will be tough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill
for 1 hour.

Thinly roll out the pastry into a buttered 20cm (8in) fluted loose-bottomed flan tin
that’s about 3cm (1 ¼in) deep. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork, then chill
for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).

Line the pastry case with tin foil or non-stick parchment paper and a thin layer of
baking beans. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Reduce the oven temperature to
180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

Remove the pastry case from the oven and carefully remove the foil and beans, then
return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the lemon rind and 400ml (14fl oz) of water in a
pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Strain out and discard the lemon rind and then stir in the lemon juice. Blend the
cornflour with a little of the lemon liquid to form a smooth paste, then add to the pan
with the sugar and stir well. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and
cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until combined. Leave to cool a little and
then beat in the egg yolks. Return to a low heat and cook for another 6–8 minutes,
stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour into the pastry case
and leave to cool completely.

Once cool, make the meringue. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk into soft
peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time to make a stiff, glossy
meringue. Spoon on top of the filling, spreading it out to make sure it makes a good seal
with the pastry edge. Swirl the top of the meringue with the tip of a knife and bake for
15 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp on top. Leave to cool slightly and then
carefully remove the tart from the tin and leave to cool for up to 2 hours – any longer
and the meringue will start to weep.

To serve, cut the lemon meringue pie into slices and arrange on serving plates with
dollops of whipped cream.

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More recipes are available to download at www.nevenmaguire.com 2