This lemon meringue pie dessert is delicious. The pillowy meringue and crisp pastry encase a tart curd filling that youll remember for a long time.
- For the pastry, use electric beaters to beat butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Use a large metal spoon to stir in flour until just combined. Turn the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Roll out pastry between two sheets of lightly floured baking paper to a 4mm-thick disc. Line a 4cm-deep, 24cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with removable base with the pastry. Trim excess. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
- Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Line pastry case with baking paper. Fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, place gelatine in a bowl. Cover with cold water. Stand for 5-7 minutes to soften. Squeeze excess liquid from gelatine. Use a balloon whisk to whisk lemon juice, sugar and eggs in a large heatproof bowl until combined. Place over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, for 6-7 minutes or until thick and mixture reaches 75°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat. Whisk in gelatine until dissolved. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until combined. Whisk in salt. Strain through a sieve into a jug. Pour into pastry case. Place in fridge for 1 hour or until set.
- For meringue, stir sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 115C (soft ball stage). Meanwhile, use electric beaters to beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. When syrup reaches 120C (hard ball stage) and with beaters on low, gradually add to egg whites. Increase speed to high. Beat for 10 minutes or until thick, glossy and cool.
- Spread meringue over filling. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks. Use a blowtorch to caramelise.
You may need it
Mixing Bowl Set
Surface Utensil Holder
Cutting Board Set