Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Hitched in Paris
Beginner June 2008

Foodies ... lemon meringue pie tips and recipes please!

Hitched in Paris, 1 July, 2009 at 12:25 Posted on Off Topic Posts 0 8

H's office has a regular cook off for office workers / other halves. I sent in a fruit cake today that went down really well and the next challenge is lemon meringue pie. I've never made this before and have chronic problems with blind baked pastry shrinking in the oven (regardless of how long I leave it in the fridge beforehand).

Does anyone have a failsafe recipe for lemon meringue pie or any tips?

Have to go out now but will check back later - cheers!

8 replies

Latest activity by Hitched in Paris, 6 July, 2009 at 14:53
  • S
    Beginner January 2006
    seraphina ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    Cheat and make it on a base of digestive biscuits/ginger nuts/any biscuit you fancy. ? Or buy ready rolled pastry.

    • Reply
  • Loulabelles
    Beginner January 2012
    Loulabelles ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    I made a Lemon Meringue Pie last weekend and had terrible trouble with pastry. I bought ready rolled but it still shrank in the oven and was really greasy. I then made my own pastry using my mum's method and had the same shrinking problem so i cheated and bought a pastry case from the supermarket.

    For the filling I used a Delia online recipe and it came out really well, she does have a recipe for the pastry which might be worth a try.

    • Reply
  • Hitched in Paris
    Beginner June 2008
    Hitched in Paris ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    Thanks both.

    Seraphina, I'm very tempted by the biscuit base but it would then need cooking to set the custard and the meringue and I'm not too sure how it would fare (a huge shame because I could do a lime meringue pie on a ginger base)

    Loulabelles, I'm off to check out Delia. I can't buy ready rolled pastry out here, or pastry cases. The easiest I can do is a frozen block of shortcrust, which always shrinks - boo! Might have to make my own *wibble*

    • Reply
  • S
    Beginner January 2006
    seraphina ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    Lime meringue pie on ginger base is lush! You can usually get away with cooking a biscuit base - I do it for cheesecakes all the time, and have done it for meringue pies before as well.

    • Reply
  • Lillythepink
    Beginner
    Lillythepink ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    I made this once, but cheated.

    I could post you a bubble-wrapped ready made pastry case - do you think it would get there in one piece? ?

    • Reply
  • lizziemh
    lizziemh ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    This is the one I do with a sweet pastry base - it is lemony gorgeousness

    Ingredients
    For a 23cm/9in pie:
    For the pastry:
    175g/6oz plain flour
    15g/½oz icing sugar
    75g/3oz butter
    1 egg, yolk only
    1 tbsp water
    For the filling:
    2 large lemons
    40g/1½oz cornflour
    300ml/10fl oz water
    2 egg, yolks only
    75g/3oz caster sugar
    For the meringue:
    3 egg, whites only
    120g/4½oz caster sugar

    For a 28cm/11in pie:
    For the pastry:
    225g/8oz plain flour
    25g/1oz icing sugar
    100g/4oz butter
    1 egg, yolk only
    about 2 tbsp water
    For the filling:
    4 large lemons
    75g/3oz cornflour
    570ml/1 pint water
    4 egg, yolks only
    175g/6oz caster sugar
    For the meringue:
    5 egg, whites only
    225g/8oz caster sugar



    Method
    1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
    2. To make the pastry, measure the flour and sugar into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and work to a firm dough - this may, of course, be done in a processor. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
    3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry and use to line a 23cm/9in or 28cm/11in loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin. ***** the pastry lightly all over with a fork, line with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is pale golden and dried out, removing the paper and beans for the last 5 minutes.
    4. Lower the oven heat to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
    5. To make the filling measure 10fl oz/275ml cold water into a jug, and spoon the cornflour and sugar into a bowl. Add enough of the water to mix the cornflour to a smooth paste.
    6. Pour the rest of the water, and the lemon zest into a small pan. Let this come to the boil then slowly pour it onto the cornflour, carefullly mixing it until you have a smooth paste.
    7. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring back to the boil, still mixing.
    8. Simmer very gently for about one minute, stirring all the time to prevent it from catching. Then remove the pan from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, lemon juice and, finally, the sugar.
    9. Pour the lemon mixture into the pastry shell and spread it out evenly.
    10. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Whisk in the caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well and at a high speed between each addition. Spoon the meringue over the top of the lemon filling, spreading it out evenly and swirling it into peaks. Make sure there are no gaps.
    11. Bake at the lower oven temperature for about 45 minutes for the 23cm/9in pie and about 1 hour for the 28cm/11in pie of until the meringue is crisp and pale beige on the outside and soft and marshmallowy underneath. 12. Serve warm or cold.
    Source(s):
    Mary Berry
    • Reply
  • Hitched in Paris
    Beginner June 2008
    Hitched in Paris ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    Thanks again. This is a serious competition (!) so I think I'll stick to tried and tested Mary Berry - fingers crossed for the pastry!

    • Reply
  • lizziemh
    lizziemh ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    Let us know how you get on

    • Reply
  • Hitched in Paris
    Beginner June 2008
    Hitched in Paris ·
    • Report
    • Hide content

    OK, my first lemon meringue pie is in the oven with 10 minutes to go. I used your Mary Berry recipe Lizzie and substituted one of the lemons for 2 small local limes. The lemony part tasted gorgeous before it went in the pastry case - smooth and tart - and it looks beautiful, caramel coloured spiky meringue.

    As H has to take it to work tomorrow, I don't get to taste it before everyone else but I'm going to ask him to bring me back a piece!!!

    Thanks Lizzie for the brilliant recipe and fingers crossed it beats the others!

    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×

Related articles

General groups

Hitched article topics