Lemon Meringue Pie

Tart lemon curd cuts through the sweetness of the toasty meringue all encased in a gorgeous, golden shortcrust pastry

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For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 200g cake flour
• 30g ground almonds
• 125g fridge-cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of milk

METHOD

1. Place the flour, ground almonds, salt and icing sugar into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Place the butter in and pulse a few more times. This will be about five to six pulses. You just want the butter to look like large, irregular breadcrumbs.
3. Add in the egg yolk and milk and pulse until the mixture looks fine and bread-crumb like.
4. Tip onto a clean surface and use your hands to bring together, until the pastry just holds.
5. Pat to form a disc and place in the fridge for an hour to chill.
6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
7. Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thickness and line the base and sides of a 24cm tart tin.
8. Take a large piece of baking paper and place into the tin. Fill the tin with baking beans or rice and blind bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Then remove the baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes.
9. Set aside to cool.

For the Lemon Curd Filling

• finely grated zest and juice of 6 unwaxed lemons
• 60g cornflour
• 150ml fresh orange juice
• 250g caster sugar
• 6 egg yolks

METHOD

1. Mix the lemon zest and juice with the cornflour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Pour 150ml of water and the orange juice into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Add the lemon mixture and simmer, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, then remove the pan from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, mix the caster sugar and egg yolks together, then pour in the hot lemon mixture, stirring continuously.
4. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir over a medium heat to a thick custard.
5. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then pour the custard into the baked pastry case. Chill in the fridge until set.

For the meringue

• 6 egg whites
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 300g caster sugar

METHOD

1. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk until soft peaks form.
2. A spoonful at a time, add the caster sugar, whisking continuously until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
3. Spoon the meringue in a large dome on top of the set lemon filling, creating swirls with the back of a spoon. 
4. Use a blowtorch to toast the meringue. Alternatively bake for 10 minutes in an oven heated to 140 degrees celcius.

Recipe by adventureswithsugar.com