From the 1960s divider · Tea trolley days
Lemon Meringue Pie
Crisp pastry, sharp lemon curd filling and a tall cloud of golden-tipped meringue.
- Prep45 mins
- Cook50 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyMedium
Photo: Sistak, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Sistak, CC BY-SA 2.0
From the tin
Lemon meringue pie goes back to the nineteenth century, but in the 1960s it became a Sunday lunch showpiece. It was a way to use up a whole egg: yolks in the filling, whites in the meringue. The towering golden peaks looked like hard work, which was exactly why it was brought out when people came round.
Lemon Meringue PieServes 8 · 1960s
You'll need
Method
- Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the yolk and water and bring to a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out and line a 23cm tart tin. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake blind at 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6 for 15 minutes, remove the beans and bake 5 more.
- For the filling, mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a pan, then whisk in the lemon juice and water. Stir over a medium heat until thick and bubbling.
- Take off the heat and beat in the egg yolks and butter. Pour into the pastry case.
- Lower the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / gas 3. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar a spoonful at a time until thick and glossy.
- Spoon the meringue over the warm filling, sealing it right to the pastry edge, and swirl into peaks.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the peaks are golden. Cool for at least an hour before cutting.
