Lemon Meringue Pie
Here is a sumptuous and elegant lemon meringue pie made easy for you. Learn how to master this classic dessert with a homemade crust, a subtle lemon curd and a fluffy Italian meringue.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Cling film
- oven
- 9-inch pie dish with removable bottom
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Kitchen thermometer
- Hand-held torch
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
- 1 cup powdered sugar 110g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ sticks cold butter 170g, diced
For the lemon curd
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 120g
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter 160g, diced
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons caster sugar 225g
For the Italian meringue
- ½ cup water 100 ml
- ½ cup caster sugar 100g
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
For the crust
- Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the dough starts to form clumps, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gather the dough with your hands, shape into a ball, and roll it out in between 2 sheets of cling film in a large 10-inch (25 cm) circle. Place in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and grease a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish with removable bottom.
- Remove cling film sheets and line the pie dish with the crust, adjusting with your finger tips if needed (the dough is very fragile). The edges must be 1/2 inch up (1.5 cm), not more.
- Place parchment paper in the pie dish, cover with heavy weights (such as dried beans), and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
For the lemon curd
- Heat lemon juice with zests and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and sugar. Pour 1/3 of lemon juice over this mixture, mix well, and transfer to the saucepan. Let the mixture thicken on medium heat, stirring constantly.
- When the lemon curd is ready, pour it over the pie crust and let cool in the refrigerator.
For the Italian meringue
- Mix water and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat the syrup to 240°F (115°C) without stirring.
- Beat the whites until soft peaks form (they must be foamy but not yet firm). Very gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into your egg whites as they continue to whip on low to medium speed. Once you’ve added all of the syrup, increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Continue mixing until the meringue produces stiff peaks.
- Cover the pie with the Italian meringue, using a tablespoon to make some swirls. Gently brown with a hand-held torch to create golden swirls, or place it in the oven for a few minutes, watching carefully through the oven window to make sure it doesn’t burn.