Basic ingredients for lemon meringue pie biscuit base
The biscuit base includes 350g of digestive biscuits (mine have dairy and gluten-free ingredients, but any type will work)
180g butter (again my recipe has dairy-free butter, but any kind will work)
for the lemon gel mixture: 3 lemons
4 tablespoons cornflour
75gcaster sugar
4 egg yolks (keep your whites!
for the meringue topping: 4 egg whites
170gcaster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cornflour
300ml water
How to make lemon meringue pie biscuit base
Please note: My flan tin is large and loose-bottomed. It is however too big for this recipe because it is the only one that I have at home. You might consider using a smaller one (probably a 23cm one).
For the biscuit base:In a saucepan, melt the butter.
Place the biscuits in a large bowl. Use the rolling pin to crush them into a fine crumb.
Mix the butter in with the biscuits.
The mixture should be transferred to the flan pan. Press it down to create a crust. Make sure to add a side crust and then put it in the refrigerator.
For the lemon gel filling: Place the lemon zest in a bowl and mix it up.
To extract more juice, roll the lemons on a piece of board. Next, juice the lemons and add them to the bowl with the zest.
Mix the cornflour with the juice and stir until it forms a smooth paste.
Now Separate the eggs and keep the whites in an extra-large bowl. Place the yolks in a separate bowl.
Mix the caster sugar with the yolks. Stir.
Bring 300ml water to a saucepan.
When the mixture is boiling, add the cornflour, and juice, and continue to stir.
This will cause the cornflour to start to gel (thicken). Now Continue to heat the mixture on low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Stir in the egg yolks and sugar mixture. Now let it cool down slightly before you pour it into your biscuit base.
For the meringue topping: Preheat the oven to 170C or gas mark 3.
Your egg whites must not contain any yolk (if they do, you’ll need to start over) and your bowl must be completely clean. Otherwise, it won’t work.
Now Use an electric whisk or a hand whisk to whisk the egg whites. The foam will remain soft for a few seconds, then it will collapse back into the mixture.
Slowly add the caster sugar one at a time, whisking in between each addition.
After all the sugar is incorporated, add the cornflour.
Pipe or spoon the meringue over the lemon filling. Bake the meringue for 15 minutes until you’re satisfied.