Lovely Lemon Meringue Pie

Practise your pastry and meringue skills by treating the family to this classic desert. We recommend you double your pastry and freeze half for another day, because once you remind yourself how good homemade lemon meringue pie is you’ll be baking it again in no time.

Lovely Lemon Meringue Pie

Preparation time 30 mins plus 1 hour chilling Baking time 40 mins Serves 8-10 For the pastry base:

• 175g plain flour
• 75g butter
• 75g caster sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp ground ginger

For the lemon filling:

• 2 x 397g cans of condensed milk
• 3 large egg yolks Zest and juice of 4 unwaxed lemons

For the meringue:

• 250g caster sugar
• 4 large egg whites

Method:

1. Put all the pastry ingredients into a food processor and whiz everything together until it forms a ball. Remove from the bowl and mould the pastry into a ball of smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of clingfilm, removing the clingfilm from one side and using the other sheet to help transfer it into a deep 23cm loose bottom fluted tart tin clingfilm side up. Leave any extra pastry hanging over the sides of the tin to be trimmed later before baking. Remove the clingfilm and replace with a sheet of baking parchment. Fill the pastry shell with baking beans and blind bake in a pre heated oven at 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas mark 6 for 15 mins, remove the parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 5 mins until dry and the pastry has turned a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool inside the tin.
3. Carefully trim off any excess pastry.
4. Make the lemon filling. Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice and the egg yolks through the condensed milk distributing it evenly. Keep stirring the mixture until it has fully combined and started to thicken. Leave to sit for 10 mins and then stir again until smooth. Pour the lemon mixture into the cooled base and refrigerate to continue the setting process.
5. Make the meringue. Pre heat the oven to 220˚C/200˚C fan/gas mark 7 and line a large baking tray with baking paper and evenly spread the caster sugar onto it and heat in the oven until really hot but not yet turned into caramel. This should take about 10 mins. When the sugar has been removed from the oven turn the temperature down to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 5. While the sugar is heating place the egg whites into a clean bowl or a food mixer and whisk on a high speed until the whites are bubbly and then gradually add the hot sugar one spoonful at a time. Continue whisking for 10 mins until the meringue has turned glossy and holds its shape.
6. Spoon the meringue onto the lemon filled tart case using the back of the spoon to make pretty spikes and swirls.
7. Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 mins until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 mins before serving warm.

TIP: * This pie can be served either warm or cold. For a speedy cheat use a couple of jars of shop bought good quality lemon curd for the filling and bring out a batch you made spare of the pastry from the freezer!