Lemon Meringue Pie

I wasn't really planning on posting this Lemon Meringue Pie so soon, but I posted this pic on Facebook and Twitter and there was such a positive reaction that I thought I had better get on with it!

I don't often make Lemon Meringue Pie because it always seems a bit of a fiddle, blind baking the pastry, making the lemon filling and then, the easy bit, whipping up the Meringue topping.  However, it is a favourite of my MIL and as it was Mother's Day, I thought I would treat her. 

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pastry base

225g plain flour

150g butter, diced

25g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

Sift the flour into a blowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar, then mix to a dough with the egg yolk and a little cold water if necessary.  Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.  Roll out on a lightly dusted work surface and use to line a 9 inch loose-bottomoned flan tin.

Bake blind, covering the base with baking paper or foil and fill with baking beans.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20 minutes, remove the beans and paper and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly coloured.

Lemon filling
2 large lemons
40g cornflour
300ml water
2 egg yolks
75g caster sugar

Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from the lemons and put in a bowl with the cornflour.  Add two tbsp from the water and blend to form a paste.  Boil the rest of the water and pour onto the cornflour mixture.  Put the mixture into a pan and bring to the boil stirring all the time, simmer for about 3 minutes until it is thick.

Remove from the heat and add the egg yolks and sugar, then return to the stove and heat through for a minute.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a minute.  Then spoon into the baked pastry case.

Meringue topping
3 egg whites
125g caster sugar

Heat the oven  to 160C
Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, add the sugar a teaspoon at a time, whisking in well after each spoonful.  Spoon over the lemon filling spreading right up to the edge of the pastry.  Bake for 30 minutes until the meringue is pale golden brown.