A lemon meringue pie is the perfect dessert for a picnic or summer event. It's light, refreshing, and the fluffy white meringue topping is sure to wow all your guests. It prepares easily and you can save time by using a ready-made foundation rather than starting from scratch.
Ingrediants
Base of the Cake
- 100 g of flour 00
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- 90 g of butter or vegetable fat
- 30-45 ml of cold water
Stuffing
- 225 g of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of 00 flour
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch (or cornstarch)
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 350 ml of water
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3 egg yolks
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
Cake Cover
- 3 egg whites
- 75 g of granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Cake Base
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 240 ° C
Step 2. Blend the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl, then cut the butter or vegetable shortening
You can use a dough scraper or two crossed knives. Keep cutting until you have pieces the size of peas.
Step 3. Moisten the flour with water
Add it, a tablespoon at a time, then stir with a fork to distribute the moisture. Continue until the dough begins to come off the edges of the bowl.
Step 4. Shape the dough into a ball and then flatten it to make a thick disk
Work the dough on a floured surface to prevent it from sticking and forcing you to knead it longer than you should.
Step 5. Wrap the disc of dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes
The dough is ready when it is cold and hard, but flexible. At that point you will be sure that the base of the cake will have the right crumbly consistency.
Step 6. Roll out the dough disc to spread it out
It must have a diameter of 33 cm. Work it on a lightly floured surface. Flour the rolling pin too if the dough tends to stick.
Step 7. Transfer the dough disc to a pan about 23cm in diameter
Make holes in the bottom with the fork tines and shape the edge. You can bend it slightly and pinch it to get a wavy pattern.
Step 8. Bake the base of the cake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown
Then take it out of the oven and set it aside to cool.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Topping
Step 1. Reduce the oven temperature to 175 ° C
Step 2. Mix the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, then gradually add the water
Keep stirring until the ingredients are all perfectly blended. Don't turn on the stove for now.
Step 3. Cook the custard over medium-high heat to bring it to a boil
Stir continuously as it heats to keep it from burning.
Step 4. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl, then add 120ml of the hot cream
Pour it over the egg yolks very slowly as you mix them with the whisk. Save the egg whites to make the cake topping.
Step 5. Pour the contents of the bowl into the pot, wait for the cream to boil again and then let it cook until it has thickened
Stir continuously as it heats and cooks. It will take about a minute for it to thicken.
Step 6. Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter, juice and lemon zest
Keep stirring until the butter has melted completely. If you want, you can also add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 7. Fill the base of the cake with the cream and set it aside after wrapping it in plastic wrap
The cream should still be hot when you add the meringue topping, so don't put the cake in the fridge.
Part 3 of 3: Making the Cake Topping
Step 1. Beat the egg whites until stiff together with the cream of tartar
You can use a modern planetary mixer or more simply a glass bowl and an electric whisk.
Step 2. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue whipping
The egg whites will gradually become whiter and lighter. If you wish, you can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 3. Beat the egg whites until stiff, it will take 1-2 minutes
This means that they must have a compact consistency similar to that of whipped cream.
Step 4. Spoon the meringue over the cake while the cream is still hot
First remove the foil, then spread the whipped egg whites over the filling, one tablespoon at a time. Make sure the cream is fully coated. If you want, you can gently tap the meringue with the back of the spoon to create decorative tips.
Step 5. Bake the cake for about 10 minutes or until the topping is golden
If you modeled the meringue with the back of the spoon, only the tips should have a nice golden color.
Step 6. Remove the cake and let it cool for two hours before serving
If it leaks, keep it in the refrigerator.
Step 7. Finished
Advice
- Decorate the cake with very thin slices of lemon.
- If you need to preserve the cake, cover it with foil, not plastic wrap. Be careful not to damage the cover.
- You can prepare the base of the cake following a different recipe or buy it ready-made.
- Place the cake slices on the plates and add some fresh raspberries.
- You can create mini meringue cakes using the single-portion molds with which the tartlets are prepared.
