Lemon meringue pie is a classic dessert that is relatively easy to make. It consists of a lemon custard filling, topped with a meringue. The pie can be served either hot or cold, although it is generally served cold.
Ingredients
- 200g shortcrust pastry
- 1 lemon
- 3 egg yolks
- 100g caster sugar
- 40g cornflour
- 600ml milk
- 3 egg whites
- 100g caster sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm/8in pie dish. Trim the excess pastry from the edge of the dish.
- Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork.
- Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes.
- Remove the beans and parchment and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Grate the zest of the lemon into a bowl.
- Juice the lemon and add to the bowl.
- Add the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and milk to the bowl and whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the cooled pastry case.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Spread the meringue over the lemon filling, making sure to cover the filling completely.
- Place the pie in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the meringue is golden-brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Potential changes & improvements
There are a few potential changes and improvements that can be made to this recipe:
- The pastry case can be made using either shortcrust or puff pastry. If using puff pastry, the baking time may need to be increased slightly.
- The filling can be made using either fresh or bottled lemon juice. If using bottled lemon juice, make sure to use a good quality brand.
- The meringue can be flavoured with vanilla extract, if desired.
What other food it works well with
Lemon meringue pie goes well with a number of other foods, including:
- Fresh fruit
- Ice cream
- Whipped cream
Common Mistakes
There are a few common mistakes that are often made when making lemon meringue pie:
- Over-baking the pastry case – this will result in a dry and crumbly pastry.
- Under-baking the meringue – this will result in a meringue that is not golden-brown and may not be cooked through.
- Not covering the filling completely with the meringue – this will result in the filling leaking out during cooking.
Nutritional Information
Lemon meringue pie is a relatively high calorie dessert. A typical serving (1/8 of a pie) contains approximately:
- Calories: 500
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
- Sodium: 230mg
- Carbohydrates: 67g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 42g
- Protein: 7g
Lemon meringue pie also contains a small amount of Vitamin C.
Allergens
Lemon meringue pie contains the following allergens:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Wheat