Best Lemon Meringue Pie
This is one of our most requested recipes. We have recently updated it with more lemon juice to cut the sweetness. Don't be put off by the long method description, I am simply giving you all the tips to avoid the usual pitfalls of:
• A raw tasting filling
• Meringue slipping off the filling and pulling away from the sides
• Meringue weeping sugary tears etc.
- Makes 1 x 24 cm pie
- Serves: 8 slices
- Recipe Category: Baking, Dessert: Cold
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Method:
Crust
Use a non-stick spray to spray the inside of a 22 - 24 cm pie dish. Whiz the biscuits in a food processor to crumb them. Add the melted butter and blend until mixed through.
Scrape the biscuit mixture into the prepared pie dish and spread out. Work the crumbs up the sides of the dish and flatten with the back of a tablespoon. Put the pie dish in the freezer to firm the crust while you prepare the filling (can be prepare the day before). Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Filling
Seperate the eggs. The whites go into a spotlessly clean medium glass or stainless steel bowl.
In a seperate bowl beat the egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and cornflour together until thoroughly blended.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling in gently, into the pie crust. Bake the pie (without the meringue topping for 20 minutes). Turn down the oven to 140 ˚C.
Meringue
To make the meringue topping beat the egg whites until just beginning to foam. Add the 2 t (10 ml) lemon juice and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating hard.
The meringue mixture must now be stiff, shiny and be able to hold its shape. Remove the half-baked pie from the oven - sift the 2 t (10 ml) of cornflour over the filling (this acts as glue to hold the filling and the meringue together). Spoon the meringue over the hot filling in great big blobs - working right up to the edge of the crust. Mould the meringue with a spatula and return the pie to the oven. Bake for another 30 - 35 minutes. Open the oven door ±1 cm, switch off the oven and leave the pie in the oven to cool down.
When the pie is cool, transfer it (uncovered) to the fridge to store. This will prevent 'tears' forming on the meringue as the air in the fridge is much drier than the regular atmosphere outside. Leave to firm for at least 2 hours before portioning.
Best Lemon Meringue Pie
This is one of our most requested recipes. We have recently updated it with more lemon juice to cut the sweetness. Don't be put off by the long method description, I am simply giving you all the tips to avoid the usual pitfalls of:
• A raw tasting filling
• Meringue slipping off the filling and pulling away from the sides
• Meringue weeping sugary tears etc.
- Makes 1 x 24 cm pie
- Serves: 8 slices
- Recipe Category: Baking, dessert cold
- Products in this recipe:
You Will Need:
Method:
Crust
Use a non-stick spray to spray the inside of a 22 - 24 cm pie dish. Whiz the biscuits in a food processor to crumb them. Add the melted butter and blend until mixed through.
Scrape the biscuit mixture into the prepared pie dish and spread out. Work the crumbs up the sides of the dish and flatten with the back of a tablespoon. Put the pie dish in the freezer to firm the crust while you prepare the filling (can be prepare the day before). Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
Filling
Seperate the eggs. The whites go into a spotlessly clean medium glass or stainless steel bowl.
In a seperate bowl beat the egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and cornflour together until thoroughly blended.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling in gently, into the pie crust. Bake the pie (without the meringue topping for 20 minutes). Turn down the oven to 140 ˚C.
Meringue
To make the meringue topping beat the egg whites until just beginning to foam. Add the 2 t (10 ml) lemon juice and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating hard.
The meringue mixture must now be stiff, shiny and be able to hold its shape. Remove the half-baked pie from the oven - sift the 2 t (10 ml) of cornflour over the filling (this acts as glue to hold the filling and the meringue together). Spoon the meringue over the hot filling in great big blobs - working right up to the edge of the crust. Mould the meringue with a spatula and return the pie to the oven. Bake for another 30 - 35 minutes. Open the oven door ±1 cm, switch off the oven and leave the pie in the oven to cool down.
When the pie is cool, transfer it (uncovered) to the fridge to store. This will prevent 'tears' forming on the meringue as the air in the fridge is much drier than the regular atmosphere outside. Leave to firm for at least 2 hours before portioning.