HOMEMADE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Ingredients :

• 250 g of flour
• 125g soft butter
• 325 g of sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 150 ml of lemon juice or 3 or 4 lemons
• 1 C. cornstarch
• 75 g of butter
• 2 – egg whites

Instructions : 

1. Making and cooking the short crust pastry: Beat an egg with 100g of sugar and the salt.
2. Add the flour all at once, knead with your fingertips.
3. Add the soft butter in pieces, knead quickly and form a ball. Film and chill for at least 1 hour
4. Spread in the pie dish, cover with a sheet of parchment paper and chickpeas.
5. Cook for 10 minutes at 180°C, then remove the “weight” and put back 8-10 minutes to cook the center well. The dough must be golden (if not prolong the cooking for a few minutes) and set aside.
6. Making the lemon cream: Take the zest of an untreated lemon and bring the lemon juice to the boil with the zest.
7. Beat 3 eggs with 150g sugar and the cornflour;
8. Gradually add the lemon juice in a trickle, whisking constantly.
9. Put everything back on medium heat and thicken, stirring well all the time, to obtain a cream
10. Leave to cool and then add the butter in pieces, beating well.
11. Garnish the bottom of the pie. Book cool.
12. To finish the meringue: Whip the egg whites, when they become firm, add 75g of sugar and whip for a few more seconds.
13. Garnish the top of the pie with a piping bag for example and switch to a hot oven ‘grill function’ for 1 minute to color the meringue.
14. Keep cool.