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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Recipe from Leith's Cookery Bible Note 1: Lemon curd makes a good alternative to the lemon custard filling Note 2: When making a meringue mixture with a powerful electric mixer, add half the sugar when the whites are stiff. Whisk again until very shiny and then add the remaining sugar and whisk lightly until just incorporated Ingredients:
170 g plain flour |
1 pinch salt |
85 g butter |
5 ml caster sugar |
1 egg yolk |
very cold water |
30 g cornflour |
290 ml milk |
30 g sugar |
2 egg yolks |
1 lemon, grated rind and juice |
2 egg whites |
110 g caster sugar |
little extra caster sugar |
Directions:
1. First make the pastry, sift the flour with the salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the 5 ml caster sugar.
2. Mix the yolk with 30 ml water, Add this to the mixture.
3. Mix to a firm dough, first with a knife and finally with one hand. It may be necessary to add more water, but the pastry should not be too wet. (Though crumbly pastry is more difficult to handle, it produces a shorter, lighter result).
4. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 20 cm flan ring. Leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to relax (this presents shrinkage during cooking).
5. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Bake the pastry blind.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.
7. Meanwhile, make the filling, mix the cornflour (which should be very accurately weighed) with a tablespoon of the milk.
8. Heat the remaining milk. Pour this on to the cornflour paste, stir well and return the mixture to the pan. Boil for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously. Add the 30 g sugar.
9. Allow to cool slightly, then beat in the egg yolks, lemon rind and juice.
10. Pour this mixture immediately into the pastry case. Remove the flan ring and return to the oven for 5 minutes to set the filling. Make the meringue, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add 15 ml caster sugar and whisk again until very stiff and solid.
11. Fold in the remaining sugar. Pile the meringue on to the pie. It is essential to cover the filling completely or the pie will weep. On the other hand, if you have used a small flan ring do not use all the meringue- the pie will be too sweet and may well weep. Dust with a little extra caster sugar.
12. Place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue is pale biscuit colour.
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