She’s definitely underrated! She allows our seasonal citrus to steal the show, whilst hitting that sweet and sour spot perfectly. Definitely a classic, without being too old school; especially with her new meringue blouse!
INGREDIENTS
1 LARGE PIE CRUST 125g butter, room temperature 50g castor sugar 1 egg 175g cake flour 2.5ml baking powder Pinch of salt FILLING 6 large egg yolks 4-5 lemons, juice and zest (200-250ml) 2 cans condensed milk (385g each) 2.5ml salt SWISS MERINGUE 6 large egg whites 350g castor sugar 5ml vanilla essence Pinch of salt
METHOD
CRUST 1. Prepare a springform cake tin with non-stick spray. 2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. 3. Add the egg and mix until well combined. 4. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a seperate bowl. 5. Add the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, to the butter mixture until well combined. 6. Spread the mixture onto the base and sides of the prepared cake tin and place in the fridge for 1 hour. FILLING 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. 2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks and lemon zest until creamy and pale. 3. Add the condensed milk and whisk until thickened. 4. Add the lemon juice in two additions and mix until well combined. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin with the cooled crust. 6. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes. 7. NB: Turn the oven off and leave the pie to set further in the oven, with the oven door closed for 30-45 minutes. CLARIFICATION ON STEP 7: Traditional recipes would require the meringue to bake with the filling. You would then leave the completed pie to cool down in the oven, as in step 7. Although, this results into a very flat, dry meringue. Therefore, I separate the baking time of the filling and the meringue to create a high, fluffy, marshmallow-like meringue! If you don’t mind the traditional way, you are more than welcome to add the meringue on top of the filling before baking. Due to the high amount of eggs in the filling, you can’t simply bake the filling for a longer period to skip the cooling and setting time in the oven. SWISS MERINGUE This simply means that you “cook” the egg whites before whisking it. This will increase the volume and glossiness of the meringue. Using this technique, you don’t need to bake the meringue at all, seeing that the egg whites are already cooked. If you prefer some colour, you can quickly blowtorch or grill the meringue in a very hot oven. 1. Remove the pie from the oven, after the cooling period. 2. Heat the oven to 220°C. 3. Fill a small pot with a bit of boiling water to create a double boiler. 4. Add the egg whites and castor sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. 5. Add the bowl on top of the small pot with simmering water, not touching the water. 6. With a hand whisk, slowly whisk the egg mixture until all the sugar has dissolved (± 5min). Test this by rubbing some of the mixture between your thumb and index finger to feel for any sugar granules. Also scrape the sides of the bowl down to remove any sugar sticking to the sides. 7. Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 10 minutes. 8. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk for another minute. 9. Spoon the meringue over the pie and blowtorch for a golden-brown colour, or grill under the hot oven for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye to not burn the meringue. 10. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool down at room temperature, before demoulding the pie (1-2 hours).
TIPS 1. If you don't have a springform cake tin or you want to halve the recipe, you can use a regular pie dish. 2. If you prefer a cookie crust, you are more than welcome to do so. I just find it quite crumbly to eat and a bit sweet. 3. I strongly recommend the lemon zest; it adds another citrus flavour to the pie. 4. Once the pie is completed and cooled, store it in an airtight container to prevent moisture from upsetting the meringue. 5. If you are uncomfortable to make the Swiss Meringue, you can make a regular meringue. You can either bake the regular meringue with the pie and leave it in the oven to cool, or you could use the exact same method from the recipe above, with a few adjustments: REGULAR MERINGUE 1. Heat the oven to 180°C. 2. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. 3. Add the castor sugar, one tablespoon at a time until well combined. 4. Add the vanilla and salt. Mix well. 5. Gently spread the meringue over the baked pie until evenly covered. 6. Bake the meringue in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes, keeping a close eye to not burn the meringue. 8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down before removing from the cake tin.