Desserts
British
BritishLemon Meringue Pie
The classic sharp-and-sweet British pudding shown three ways. The basic leans on a packet mix and ready pastry, while the ultimate has a hand-made pate sucree, a rich lemon curd and an Italian meringue.
Vegetarian
Nut-free
Better version
Homemade sweet shortcrust and a real lemon curd filling under a soft-peaked meringue.
Per serving£0.90
Total cost£7.20
Time1 hr 5 min
Ingredients for 8
- Pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g chilled butter , cubed
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 egg , beaten
- Filling
- 4 lemons , zest and juice
- 200 g caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 40 g cornflour
- 50 g butter , for filling
- Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 200 g caster sugar , for meringue
Method
- Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, bind with the egg, then chill, line a 23cm tin and blind bake at 190C for 20 minutes.
- Heat the lemon juice, zest, sugar and 200ml water, whisk in the cornflour slackened with a little water and cook until thick.
- Off the heat beat in the yolks and butter, then pour the curd into the baked case.
- Whisk the whites to soft peaks and gradually add the sugar to a glossy meringue.
- Pile the meringue over the warm filling and bake at 170C for 18-20 minutes until set and golden.
Equipment
- 23cm pie tin
- electric whisk
- saucepan
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Ready-rolled pastry case and a packet lemon pie filling, topped with a simple meringue.
Better
Homemade sweet shortcrust and a real lemon curd filling under a soft-peaked meringue.
Ultimate
Buttery pate sucree, a silky egg-yolk lemon curd and a torched Italian meringue.
