Garden to Plate: Lemon Meringue Pie.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Lemon Meringue Pie.

Lots of lemons can be seen in people's backyards hanging from the trees. Home grown lemons are great for desserts, spreads and anything else you can find in a recipe book or passed down through your family.

My lemon tree is still too young to produce lemons. But I am able to source them out from friends.

Today I made a lemon meringue pie. Thought I'd post the recipe here. With photos of my pie, before it was eaten.

Pastry:

2 cups plain flour
pinch salt
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
185 g (6 oz.) butter/margarine
1 to 2 tablespoons water.

Lemon Filling:

4 tablespoons plain flour
4 tablespoons cornflour
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups water
90 g (3 oz.) butter/margarine
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
4 egg-yokes

Meringue:

4 egg-whites
2 tablespoons water
pinch salt
3/4 cup castor sugar (I use normal sugar)

Pastry.

Sift flour, salt & icing sugar into basin, rub butter into dry ingredients. Add lemon juice & sufficient water to combine ingredients. Press dough into a smooth ball, chill 30 mins.

Roll out onto lightly floured surface until large enough to fit 20 cm or 23 cm pie plate. Press firmly down into the plate. Do not stretch the pastry, as this can cause shrinking during baking. Prick base and sides throughly with a fork. This will stop pastry rising during cooking.

Bake in moderately hot oven 10 to 15 min, or until golden brown. Set aside until cold.

Spread cold lemon filling into cold pastry case, top with meringue.

Spread meringue to edge of pastry case to form a complete seal.

Bake in moderate oven 5 to 10 mins, or until lightly brown.

Filling:

Combine sugar and sifted flours in saucepan. Stir in combined lemon juice & water gradually; add lemon rind.
Place over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils & thickens. Its important that the mixture boils. Reduce heat, stir for further 2 mins.

Remove from heat, add butter/margarine and lightly beaten egg-yokes; stir, off heat, until butter is melted, set aside until cool.

Meringue:

Combine egg-white, water & salt in small basin of electric mixer, beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beat until sugar is dissolved.