Lemon Meringue Pie

There is something incredibly homely and comforting about a Lemon Meringue Pie. It's old fashioned, a little bit frumpy and that's what makes it so damn appealing. Every mouthful is like a little piece of heaven, it is one of those things that make you happy simply because you're eating it and that is -to me- one of the most important things about good food.

First of all I'm going to give you a recipe for the pastry base. Making pastry is incredibly easy and the taste is amazing, full of buttery goodness. Please, give it a try.......
 Pastry;
1 1/2 Cups of Plain Flour
1 Tablespoon of Icing Sugar
140grams cold butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsps cold water

Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add yolk & water and mix until the mixture comes together. Scrape it out of the processor, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for approx 20 mins.

Preheat the oven to 240C

Grease a flan or pie tin. Roll out pastry (flour the rolling pin and surface if the pastry is a little sticky) until it is large enough to line the tin. Gently ease the pastry into the tin and trim the edges. Prick the bottom of the pastry shell all over with a fork and then bake in the oven for 20mins or until the pastry is golden.

Lemon Filling;

1/2 Cup Cornflour
1 Cup Caster Sugar
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Cup of Water
60grams Unsalted Butter
3 Egg Yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

Combine the cornflour and sugar and place into a medium saucepan, gradually stir in the lemon juice and water until smooth. Cook over high heat while stirring until the mixture boils and thickens. Take off the heat and whisk in butter and egg yolks. Cool the mixture and then spread it into the pastry case.
Now at this point you are supposed to cool the half assembled pie in the refrigerator for an inordinate amount of time. I am of course a notoriously lazy and impatient cook so I shove mine in the freezer for 20 mins or so. I'm probably breaking some sort of "cooking law" here but, hey, it works for me!
While you're waiting for it to cool make the meringue.

Beat the egg whites - that I hope you saved from before -  in a small bowl until soft peaks form, gradually 1/2 Cup of extra sugar until it dissolves. Be very, very careful not to over mix (as I have done on many occasions) you'll end up with a curdled mess and stuff up your Pie Perfection!

Retrieve your pie case from the freezer (if you cheated) and heap the glossy and gorgeous egg white mixture on top. Place in the oven and watch carefully - it will probably only need a couple of minutes and the top will be a lovely golden brown.

Homemade Heaven!