Lemon meringue pie

Recipe by James Martin from Sweet Baby James
Ingredients For the sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 225 g plain white Flour
  • Salt
  • 110 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 2 teaspoons caster sugar
  • 1 medium free range egg yolk
For the lemon curd
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 7 tablespoons Cornflour
  • 4 large Lemons zest and juice only
  • 6 free range egg yolks
  • 100 g unsalted butter melted
For the meringue
  • 6 medium free range egg whites
  • 300 g caster sugar
Method For the sweet shortcrust pastry
  • Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the butter to the flour and then rub between your fingertips until a fine breadcrumb consistency is achieved.
  • Add the sugar to the flour and butter. Using your hands, mix to a firm dough with the egg yolk and a splash of cold water.
  • Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using.
  • Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and grease a 22cm/9in fluted loose-bottomed tin. Place the tin onto a baking tray.
  • Roll out the pastry until it's big enough to generously fit the tin, leaving excess pastry falling over the sides of the tin onto the baking tray underneath the tin - don't trim at this stage.
  • Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Now trim the excess pastry using a sharp knife. Bake the pastry case blind for about 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is pale golden and dried out - remove the paper and beans for the last five minutes. Lower the oven heat to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
For the lemon curd
  • Meanwhile, for the lemon curd, mix together the sugar, cornflour and enough water to make a paste, in a large bowl.
  • Bring 50ml/2fl oz water and the lemon zest to the boil in a small pan.
  • Gradually pour the hot liquid onto the cornflour and sugar, whisking all the time until smooth.
  • Beat in the egg yolks, lemon juice and butter. Return to the pan.
  • Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, until thickened. Pour into the baked blind pastry case and leave to cool slightly.
For the meringue
  • For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in the caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well and at a high speed between each addition. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag (with a plain nozzle) and pipe the meringue on top of the lemon curd.
  • Bake for about 35-45 minutes until the meringue is crisp on the outside and soft and marshmallow-like underneath.
  • Serve warm or cold in slices
What Do You Think?
  • Cait MacLeod
    Cait MacLeod 7 months ago
    brilliant but try a biscuit (like a Nice Biscuit) base instead of shortcrust pastry. Yummier.
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