Lemon Meringue Pie

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How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie

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1. Make and chill the pastry, line a 23 cm tin, and blind bake at 190°C / 375°F for 20 minutes with beans, then 12 minutes without, until fully dry and golden.

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2. For the filling, whisk the sugar, cornflour and salt in a saucepan, then whisk in the water until smooth.

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3. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and boils. Boil for a full minute.

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4. Whisk a ladleful of the hot mixture into the yolks to temper them, then return everything to the pan and cook 2 minutes more, whisking, until very thick.

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5. Off the heat, beat in the lemon juice, zest and butter. Pour into the baked shell and keep it hot.

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6. For the meringue, whisk the whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks, then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking to stiff, glossy peaks. Whisk in the vanilla.

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7. Rub a little meringue between your fingers — if it feels gritty, keep whisking until the sugar has dissolved.

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8. Spoon the meringue onto the hot filling and spread it so it touches the pastry rim all the way around, sealing completely. Swirl into peaks.

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9. Bake at 175°C / 345°F for 18 to 20 minutes until the peaks are golden. Cool at room temperature for 2 hours (the filling holds egg yolks, so no longer). Chill 2 hours more before slicing.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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A Few Pointers

• Meringue onto hot filling, sealed to the crust. Those two details prevent almost every meringue pie failure.
• Boil the cornflour filling for a full minute or it will not set and an enzyme in the yolks will thin it overnight.
• Cool at room temperature first. Straight into the fridge and the meringue sweats.

What to Serve With It

A pot of tea · Fresh raspberries alongside · A glass of limoncello

Storage

Best on the day it is made. It keeps 2 days refrigerated, though the meringue softens. Do not freeze.

Lemon Meringue Pie Nutrition Facts

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.