Jan

12

Step by step: lemon meringue pie

Filed under: Cakes & biscuits, Desserts, Diary, English Mum's Recipe Section, Photos — English Mum @ 10:19 pm
 

 Pie. Keep your pointy implement handy.

 I’m still struggling with this photography lark, y’know.  It’s not easy trying to take classy pictures when you’re up to your elbows in egg whites.  I’m going to wreck my camera at this rate.  Still, here we go with another step by step: this time a classic lemon meringue pie.

For the pastry, you’ll need:

115g butter, melted

100g caster sugar

175g plain flour

Pinch of salt

Firstly, preheat the oven to 180/gas 4.  Pour the melted butter into the sugar and stir.  Then add the flour and teeny pinch of salt and mix it around until it becomes a thick paste.  Press the mixture into your flan dish or baking tin  (about 24cm should do it), then bake it blind (scrunch up a bit of greaseproof paper, then smooth it over the pastry and pour in the baking beans) for about 15 minutes.  Then take it out of the oven, remove the baking beans and put it back in to cook the bottom (ooer) for about another 5 minutes, then take it out and leave to cool.  Turn the oven down to gas 2/150 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the lemon curd:

100g butter

2 lemons, zested then juiced

150g caster sugar

2 eggs plus 1 extra yolk (keep the white for the meringue)

Take a saucepan and bung in the butter, lemon juice and zest and caster sugar.  Melt it all together slowly until the sugar is all dissolved.  In a bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until well combined.  Now, take your warm, lemony, butter mixture and gently pour a little bit into the egg, whisking all the time, then a bit more, then a bit more, until you’ve combined about half of it with the eggs.  Now bung that lot back into the saucepan and keep whisking and simmering until the mixture thickens.  Turn off the heat and leave to cool.  Remember to just stir it occasionally to keep it from getting a skin on.  When it’s about room temperature, pour it into the pastry case.

Finally, for the meringue:

4 egg whites

225g caster sugar

Whisk the eggs in a very clean bowl until they form stiff peaks, then keep whisking while you add the sugar, spoon by spoon, until it’s all incorporated and the meringue is thick and glossy.  At this point, it’s best to keep passing children from all trying to nab fingerfulls of the meringue mixture.  I find something pointy helps here.  Pile it all on top of the lemon curd and fluff it up a bit.  Bake in the very low oven (gas 2/150 degrees) for about 40 to 50 minutes, depending on how squelchy you like your meringue.  Guard the pie with your pointy implement until it’s at room temperature, then quickly take it into the bathroom, lock the door, and stuff into face.

24 Comments »

  1. Pointy instrument present and ERRRRRRRRR correct!

    Comment by Roy — January 13, 2009 @ 12:24 am

  2. Lemon meringue is one of my faves – this one I will try. No photos though, unless it turns outs perfect!

    Comment by Cortes — January 13, 2009 @ 4:36 am

  3. Roy: I find the carving fork quite suitable. Mind you, they still managed to snaffle half of it while my back was turned!

    Cortes: Oh, I need photos to see if it’s better than mine! The top pic isn’t loading properly, but I might replace it as I sliced it when it was still warm and all the lemon curd oozed away! I’ll get a better one today.

    Comment by English Mum — January 13, 2009 @ 9:17 am

  4. Goodness me, this looks amazing. It’s my mum’s favourite too, I’ll have to treat her! Thanks :0)

    CP x

    Comment by CatsPuke — January 13, 2009 @ 10:12 am

  5. There is always a place for lemon meringue in our house :-) I’m battering down the bathroom door right now to claim a slice!

    Comment by Wee Jen — January 13, 2009 @ 1:48 pm

  6. I would really like some of that right now – guess I will have to run the gauntlet of the pointy implement… Oh well, needs must!

    Comment by Daily Spud — January 13, 2009 @ 2:16 pm

  7. @Wee Jen: “I’m battering down the bathroom door right now to claim a slice!” Why do you keep cake in the bathroom?

    @English Mum: You need to make a half step by half step guide, i got lost!

    Comment by PaddyInEngland — January 13, 2009 @ 3:17 pm

  8. Pukey: Ooh, lucky Mum. Take photos! x

    Wee One: Actually, it’s probably quite gross to talk about eating in the bathroom, but you get my drift :)

    Spud: Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough. Hee hee! x

    Paddy: She means my bathroom door after what I said in my last sentence. Keep up, man. I’ll do you a teeny-steps version if you like ;)

    Comment by English Mum — January 13, 2009 @ 5:17 pm

  9. thanks

    Comment by PaddyInEngland — January 13, 2009 @ 5:22 pm

  10. Well, yes but I won’t tell anyone if you don’t. Oh, wait… Dammit.

    Comment by wee jen — January 13, 2009 @ 6:02 pm

  11. Pad: You’re welcome. I keep shortening your name. Next time you’ll just be Pa…

    Jen: Doh! The secret’s out.

    Comment by English Mum — January 13, 2009 @ 7:38 pm

  12. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm lemons, and pie, and meringue!!! It must be sent from heaven!!! mmmmmmmmmm

    Comment by Rachel@fairycakeheaven — January 13, 2009 @ 8:16 pm

  13. mmmmmm my favourite and no chocolate involved,….yay x

    Comment by Kate — January 13, 2009 @ 9:07 pm

  14. Rach: Erm, well, Cavan. But that’s awfully close :lol:

    Kate: I thought of you when I was making this. Chocolate-free!

    Comment by English Mum — January 13, 2009 @ 9:21 pm

  15. Sadly, the joys of lemon meringue pie will forever be a closed book to me, on account of me being allergic to eggs. It always looks lovely though. *Sigh*

    Comment by Jay — January 14, 2009 @ 1:11 am

  16. It was only as an adult that I finally discovered that the lemon curd part of the lemon meringue pie did not, in fact, come from a box. I grew up with the Bird’s Lemon Meringue pie filling, flat meringue with charred peaks and watery bits puddling underneath, and I won’t even start about the pastry, shudder.
    I think this is a different beast altogether!!

    Comment by Sandra — January 14, 2009 @ 2:19 pm

  17. The pie looks fantastic! I will give it a try this weekend. Greetings from freezing cold Zürich :)

    Comment by Gill — January 14, 2009 @ 4:33 pm

  18. Jay: Oh boo. I wonder if it’s possible to find a lemon curd substitute and then serve it with whipped cream on top, sprinkled with sugar and crusted with a blow torch? Might have a looksee x

    Sandra: So did I!!! I was chatting to Hubby about this today – remember the lemon curd bit used to be strangely fluorescent too? Weird. x

    Gill: Welcome! Just the thing for a nippy Zürich weekend, I’m sure. Let me know how you get on!

    Comment by English Mum — January 14, 2009 @ 9:59 pm

  19. I’m so going to try this. LMP is the only thing my mother could cook when she first got married but I’ve never been able to perfect meringue. Shameful . . .an Australian who cannot make a pavlova!

    Comment by Baino — January 14, 2009 @ 10:34 pm

  20. Baino: Exactly! It’s like your national dish or something! The lemon curd is magic though – I’m going to make some more and bottle it up x

    Comment by English Mum — January 14, 2009 @ 10:57 pm

  21. Yep, and there was this strange little capsule thingy that came in the packet. It floated around in the saucepan until it eventually dissolved – sort of like a bath oil capsule. Weird!

    Comment by Sandra — January 15, 2009 @ 7:42 pm

  22. Sandra: Oh God yes! I remember that! Wasn’t it supposed to be lemon oil or something? Must get my Ma to read this x

    Comment by English Mum — January 15, 2009 @ 7:45 pm

  23. Finally gave the lemon meringue pie a whirl – lemon curd was delish, meringue was great but I made a pigs ear out of the pastry (I blame the swiss butter!) Still we wolfed the whole thing down in no time! I will definitly make this again – thanks :)

    Comment by Gill — January 29, 2009 @ 9:06 pm

  24. Gill: You’re not alone – I arsed up the pastry the first time I made it by not baking it for long enough – it was like soggy biscuit! Glas you enjoyed it though x

    Comment by English Mum — January 30, 2009 @ 9:38 am

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