Today I bring you a classic: lemon meringue pie! It’s one my favorite desserts and it was one of the chosen ones for our Easter lunch.
For the crust, I opted for a pâte sablée dough, which is quite airy and crumbles in your mouth. The creamy lemon curd makes a perfect match with the italian meringue, with the typical sweet-sour contrast between the lemon and the meringue.
I chose to make them mini-pies purely as an aesthetic decision, but it can also be baked as one large pie. It is a matter of preference.
Lemon Meringue Mini-Pies
an irreplaceable classic
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée Crust
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g white sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 egg
Lemon Curd
- 150 ml lemon juice
- 150 g white sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 120 g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Italian Meringue
- 50 ml water
- 100 g white sugar
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
Pâte Sablée Crust
- Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl.
- Add the soft butter, incorporating it with your fingers until you have a wet mixture.
- Add the egg and knead the dough, forming a smooth ball with it.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate it for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180 º C.
- Sift some flour on a surface and roll out the dough over it. Grease and line with parchment paper 6 mini-pie frames of about 8 cm in diameter.
- Divide the dough between the pie frames, forming the base and sides of the pies. Make holes with a fork along the surface of the crust.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the crusts are golden. Let them cool down and remove them from the frames.
Lemon Curd
- In a pan, bring the lemon juice, the sugar and the lemon zests to a boil.
- In the meantime, whisk the yolks with the cornstarch.
- Slowly pour the the lemon juice into the mixture, always whisking, until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter, folding it into the lemon curd.
- Let it cool down. Spread the lemon curd on the pie crusts and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Italian Meringue
- Heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the temperature reaches around 110 º C or the sugar is completely dissolved.
- In the meantime, beat the egg whites in the mixer to stiff peaks.
- With the mixer on high speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the whites.
- Keep beating until the merengue is completely cold and smooth.
- Using a pastry bag, decorate the pies with the meringue. Burn them with a kitchen torch.
Notes
If you prefer to make one big pie instead, this recipe can also be made in a pie frame of about 24 cm in diameter.
