Lemon meringue pie

AT YOUR PACE, STEP BY STEP

Let’s get baking

1. 01

   Mix the flour, 40 g powdered sugar, and salt. Rub in the butter until crumbly, then add the egg and bring together without kneading. Flatten, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Keep the meringue egg whites covered in the refrigerator.

2. 02

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roll the pastry to 3 mm and line a 23 cm tart pan. Prick the base, cover with parchment, and fill with baking weights or dried beans.

3. 03

   Bake for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake for another 6 minutes, until the base looks dry. Reduce the oven to 170 °C.

4. 04

   Gently mix the condensed milk, egg yolks, citrus juice, and zest. Pour into the shell and bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the center barely jiggles.

5. 05

   Cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The filling will finish setting as it chills.

6. 06

   For the meringue, combine the egg whites and 180 g granulated sugar in a clean, grease-free, heatproof bowl. Set it over a pan of gently simmering water without letting the bowl touch the water. Stir constantly for about 7 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the entire mixture reaches 72 °C; check with a kitchen thermometer.

7. 07

   Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form and the bowl feels barely warm. Spread over the cold pie. Brown under the oven broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, about 20 cm from the heating element, watching constantly. Keep refrigerated and eat within 2 days.

Times are approximate and vary with your oven. Use oven mitts and check doneness before serving.