Lemon meringue pie

PASTRY

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon icing sugar

150g cold butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons cold water

MERINGUE

4 egg whites

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

LEMON FILLING

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

pinch salt

3 1/2 tablespoons cornflour

2 egg yolks

1 lemon, rind finely grated

METHOD

To make the pastry, combine flour, icing sugar and butter, and knead by hand. Add egg yolk and cold water to form a dough. Roll out to desired size and place in greased tin. Leave in fridge for 30 minutes. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice and blind bake for 15 minutes at 220°C. Remove paper and beans/rice from pie shell and bake a further 10 minutes. Cool.

To make the filling, put sugar, 1 cup of water, butter, lemon juice and salt into a pan and bring just to boiling point. Mix cornflour with enough extra water to make a sloppy paste and add to syrup. Stir continuously until mixture thickens on medium heat, and then leave to simmer without stirring for another 5 minutes on very low heat. Take from heat, let cool slightly, then add beaten egg yolks and return to low heat for a few minutes. Stir briskly. Add grated lemon rind. Pour mixture into baked pastry shell.

To make the meringue, whip the whites till very stiff and fluffy. Add the sugar very gradually, beating vigorously. Add vinegar and mix well. Pour over lemon filling in pastry shell.

Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or until tinged with brown.

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