Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Pie
A classic dessert for everyone
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 4 oz plain gluten-free flour
- 2 oz margarine
- 1 tsp beaten egg yolk
For the filling
- 3 large egg yolks minus the small bit used in the pastry!
- 2 oz caster sugar
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1.5 oz margarine
- Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
For the meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 6 oz caster sugar
Instructions
- Seive the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Lightly rub the flour and butter between your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a few drops of water and begin to combine with a flat knife. Add a little bit of egg yolk and finish combining with your hands.
- Then wrap the pastry and put in the fridge for 30 mins.
- When chilled, roll out the pastry until it is just larger than the tin and press into the tin. Trim, pierce base with a fork and blind bake for 20 mins. Then remove from the oven and reduce oven temp. to 150oC.
- Meanwhile, make the lemon filling. Put the cornflour and sugar into a bowl and add just enough water to mix to a paste. Put 10fl oz of water into a pan with the lemon zest and bring to the boil. Then add to the cornflour and sugar, mixing continuously until smooth.
- Beat in the egg yolks, lemon juice, and butter and return the whole mixture to the pan, heating until thickened. Pour into the pastry case.
- Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in the caster sugar a little at a time. Spoon the meringue onto the filling and spread to seal the edges of the pastry case. Swirl the top as you like!
Notes
- Lemon meringue pie is often served cold. That's why it need to be refrigerated before serving. After baking, you should let it cool on a rack for an hour. Then put it in the refrigerator (on a top shelf) for 3-6 hours. Remember not to leave the pie out for more than 2 hours to prevent bacterial growth.
- You can serve lemon meringue pie with whipped cream, fruit salad, vanilla ice cream, custard sauce, cup of coffee or tea.
- To store the pie, you can keep it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge for 3 days. You shouldn't freeze the lemon meringue pie as meringues tend to lose their texture when frozen. Instead of that, you can freeze the lemon filling and crust separately if needed.
- To keep your lemon meringue pie from getting soggy, you can follow these tips:
- To keep your lemon meringue pie from getting soggy, you can follow these tips:
- Blind bake the crust: This helps create a barrier between the crust and the filling, preventing excessive moisture absorption.
- Use a lemon curd layer: Before adding the meringue, consider spreading a thin layer of lemon curd on the pre-baked crust. This acts as an additional barrier against moisture and adds extra lemon flavor to your pie.
- Ensure the filling is properly cooked and thickened before adding it to the crust.
- Seal the meringue: When spreading the meringue over the lemon filling, make sure it touches the crust's edge. This helps create a seal that prevents moisture from getting to the crust.
- Let the pie cool gradually and store it properly.