Have you ever baked something you don’t really like, just because you had an idea in your head of what it would look like and you wanted to try it? Maybe not, maybe it’s just me. I mean I don’t hate lemon meringue pie, but if I saw it on the menu, I probably wouldn’t order it. Tart au Citron however, yeah I’d order that.
After seeing some of the amazing Fantastik patisserie by Christophe Michalak I was inspired by the spirals he used in his patisserie. I thought I’d make a tart au citron with a meringue topping. This lemon meringue pie was not nearly as neat as I’d hoped, it’s actually really hard to pipe in a spiral.
I’m convinced that he doesn’t pipe these by hand, they look so perfect. I imagine it’s just a matter of practice, the problem is I don’t really like lemon meringue pie, so I think I will have to practice this technique using another recipe. I’ve not made a cheesecake in a long time, perhaps I can practice with that.
I adapted this recipe from the Lemon Tart in Edd Kimber’s book Patisserie Made Simple. It’s a very easy recipe with a pastry case, a lemon cream filling and an Italian Meringue topping.
What makes this recipe even easier is that the lemon cream doesn’t need to be baked, it can be made and added to the cooked pastry case. The meringue is then piped on top and cooked using a chef’s blowtorch. It couldn’t be any easier.
To create this pie yourself, take a look at the recipe below, it’s the perfect make ahead dish for entertaining.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Ingredients
- ***Pate Sucree***
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 17 g Ground Almonds
- 40 g Icing Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 125 g Unsalted Butter diced and chilled
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1/2 Tbsp Cold Water
- ***Lemon Cream***
- 150 ml Lemon Juice around 4 lemons
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 225 g Unsalted Butter diced and chilled
- ***Italian Meringue***
- 90 g Egg Whites 3 eggs
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 13 g Liquid Glucose
- 40 ml Water
Instructions
- Put the flour, almonds, icing sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the butter and rub together using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and mix together just until the dough comes together. If the pastry isn't coming together in a uniform mass, add the water and mix until it starts to come together.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead it into a smooth uniform dough.
- Shape into a ball and wrap in cling-film, place the pastry in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- To make the lemon cream, put the lemon juice, eggs, yolks and sugar in a large pan over a medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches 80C on an instant-read thermometer.
- Pour the lemon mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl and leave to cool for around 10 minutes.
- Add the butter a few pieces at a time and blend the mixture using a hand blender. Keep adding the butter and mixing it, until all of the butter is incorporated and the mixture has thickened up.
- Press a piece of cling-film to the surface of the cream and place it in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan)/gas 4 and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 2-3mm thick and will line a 23cm tin.
- Trim off the excess pastry and put the tart in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Line the tart shell with a layer of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. bake for 25 minutes then remove the parchment and the beans and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
- Leave to cool completely before giving the lemon cream a stir and spreading it onto the base of the tart, smoothing it into an even layer.
- Put the tart in the fridge to chill and make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl of an electric mixer.
- Place the sugar, glucose and water in a saucepan over a medium heat and boil until it reaches 121C.
- Gently pour the boiling syrup into the meringue and have the whites whisking on a slow speed while this is happening.
- After all the syrup has been added, increase the speed to maximum and whisk the egg whites until they are cool to the touch.
- When the meringue is ready, either pipe it in a spiral on top of the lemon cream or smooth it on with a palette knife.
- Using a chef's blowtorch, cook the top of the meringue. You can then serve the lemon meringue pie immediately or store it in an airtight container.
- It's not advised to store this in the fridge as the pastry will become soft and the meringue will break down.
Have you ever made anything, just to say you’ve tried it? Or is this just a strange obsession of mine?
Thanks for reading.
Angela
I’m adding my Lemon Meringue Pie to the ‘Perfecting Patissiere’ link-up with Kevin from The Crafty Larder and Lucy from Baking Queen 74.
I’ve also added this recipe to #CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy from Supergolden Bakes.
I’m also linking up with #TryABiteTuesday and Fabulous Foodie Fridays
Lucy Parissi
Perfection! Would sit perfectly in a patisserie window and people would be paying £4 a slice for the privilege of tasting it… Something to think about Angela : ) Thanks for linking with #CookBlogShare you always raise the bar!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Wow thanks Lucy, such wonderful compliments. I love #CookBlogShare as you well know 🙂
Fabulous Foodie Fridays #55 - Bake Play Smile
[…] last but not least, was this amazingly perfect Lemon Meringue Pie from Patisserie Makes Perfect. If we’re out for dinner and I see Lemon Meringue Pie on the […]
Johlene Orton
This looks amazing! I love the swirl you made with the meringue on top! I saw this on Fabulous Foodie Fridays 🙂
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you so much Johlene. It was lovely fun to make. I’m so pleased you like the look of this, thank you for stopping by.
Lindsee Culbertson
This looks so delicious! I love to bake, but my skills aren’t nearly as good as yours. I hope to be this good some day!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you so much Lindsee, your comments are so kind. I’m so honoured that you’re impressed with my baking.
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile
Wow this is absolutely perfect!!! I adore lemon meringue pie. Love the look of that crust! Thanks for linking up with Fabulous Foodie Fridays! xx
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Oh thank you so much Lucy and thanks for taking the time to comment. It is such a delicious pie. x
Lauren @ Create Bake Make
Oh goodness this look incredible, you are too clever! Thanks for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Wow thanks so much Lauren. This is actually much easier than it looks. I hope you had a great weekend.
PatisserieMakesPerfect
It did taste good Jasmin. I’m so pleased it’s not just me that has food obsessions! Thanks for commenting. x
Amber | Caleigh's Kitchen
This is beautiful meringue! Looks delicious!!! Thanks for sharing on Try a Bite Tuesday! Hope to see you next week!!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Amber and thanks for hosting #TryABiteTuesday
Jodie Dodd
Lol, there are tons of things I want to make because of how they look, I just never get around to it! I have never had lemon meringue pie because I do not like lemon flavoring and I’ve never had anything meringue based because I always thought all meringue had lemon flavoring. Thanks to you I’ve learned that’s not true and now I really want to try it! Your pie looks fantastic though, very nice, even layers. I could imagine piping in a circular motion takes quite a bit of patience and effort. I love the blowtorched effect though. Great job Angela! 🙂 xx
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Jodie, you’ve watched the bake off, now you need to get in the kitchen! I’m not sure what you mean by lemon flavouring? Is artificial stuff added to some meringue pies? This is similar to a lemon curd, so it’s pretty creamy.
I found out that the guy who inspired me, pipes the spirals with his cakes on an old record player, rotating at a slow speed. Genius! x
Jodie Dodd
That piping technique is brilliant! As for the lemon flavoring, I always thought that all meringue was lemon flavored because for me it was always associated with the pie. So I basically always thought that in any instance meringue was used it was lemony. I never took the pie filling into account. 😀
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Oh I never realised you thought it was lemon meringue! Yes it’s lemon filling with meringue on top. Case closed 🙂
Lucy - BakingQueen74
This looks amazing, so delicious, and I love the fact that the lemon filling doesn’t need to be baked as that makes it simpler. I have decks at home so you never know, I might try the spiral technique myself one day! Gorgeous lemon meringue pie, thanks for linking up with #PerfectingPatisserie
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks Lucy. Yes the filing is really great, I thoroughly recommend Edd Kimber’s book Patisserie Made Simple, the recipes are really reliable. Give the piping a go. I need to get some decks now! Thanks for hosting the link-up.
wheeliegoodmeals
This looks stunning, your meringue looks amazing, I’d never get mine to turn out that well #CookBlogShare
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you so much. Mine main tip is Italian meringue! I know some people are daunted by the sugar syrup, but it’s so stable and easy to work with once you’ve made it.
French meringue is great, but I struggle to make a consistently good one.
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Ah Louise, thank you! It does taste good, I think childhood memories of the Sara Lee versions have scarred me permanently! x
Winnie
What a beautiful pie !!!
It really looks perfect to me, and I sooooooooo wish I could have a slice 🙂
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Winnie. I’m so pleased you like it!
Marta Vodrey
If a lemon meringue looked like that, I’d for SURE order it off a menu 🙂
.:Marta:.
PatisserieMakesPerfect
I’m so glad it looks appealing Marta. I’d definitely serve you a slice of this, on the house!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks Angela, I have to admit, I do like lemon meringue pie, but it’s not my ultimate dessert, if that makes any sense. Eclairs are amazing, I’m so sad you’ve been missing out for so long. I love Chantilly Cream too, it’s delicious.
if I practice again, you’ll be the first to know 😉
Angela x
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
I don’t know but this looks pretty perfect to me!! Fabulous job, Angela! I don’t think I’ve made anything I can’t stand, but I’ve definitely made desserts that I wasn’t in the mood to make or just weren’t my favorite because Mom or someone else I can’t turn down have requested them! :p Even though you don’t like lemon meringue pie, no one would ever know as your pie looks absolutely gorgeous!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you so much Beeta. Baking to request is tough isn’t it? My mum loves anything with coffee and ginger, they’re two things I hardly ever cook with, which is strange as I like both quite a lot.
So pleased you like the look of this lemon meringue pie, I’m considering it a success. x
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
I often make things because I want to try a technique or have an idea in my head of how I want something to look rather than because I want to eat it (although I don’t think I’ve made anything that I haven’t liked/eaten…I’m a bit of a gannet…). Your spiral piping certainly looks pretty neat to me! A far better job than I would be able to do….
PatisserieMakesPerfect
I found out that the patissier I was trying to copy, sits his desserts on an old record player and turns it on slow and pipes his spirals that way! I can’t say I’ll be doing that any time soon, but it’s good to know he doesn’t pipe them entirely free-hand either!
I agree, I haven’t made much that I couldn’t eat or stomach!