Lemon Meringue Pie – Italian Meringue Style

Step 1: Prepare the Pastry Dough

Cut 125g of butter into cubes. In a bowl, combine the butter with 125g of icing sugar. Mix by hand until well combined. Add 0.5 tsp of ground vanilla and the zest of 1 lemon. Mix again. Crack 1 egg into the mixture and mix until incorporated. Sift 250g of all-purpose flour into the bowl. Mix by hand until a dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.

Step 2: Chill the Pastry Dough

Wrap the prepared pastry dough in cling film. Place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

Step 3: Prepare the Tart Tin

Grease a 23 cm tart tin with butter to prevent sticking.

Step 4: Roll and Place the Pastry

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3-4 mm, large enough to fit the tart tin. Carefully roll the dough onto a rolling pin and unroll it over the prepared tart tin. Gently press the dough into the tin, ensuring it fits snugly into the fluted edges. Trim any excess dough by rolling the pin over the top of the tin. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork.

Step 5: Chill and Blind Bake the Pastry

Place the tart tin with the pastry back into the fridge for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 160°C with fan (or 180°C without fan). After chilling, add ceramic baking beans (or dried beans/rice) over the pastry base. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Step 6: Prepare the Lemon Cream

In a saucepan, combine 150g of granulated sugar and the zest of 2 lemons. Add 20g of cornflour. Crack 3 eggs into the saucepan. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Add 100ml of lemon juice and whisk again. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Remove from heat and let the lemon cream cool down to below 50°C.

Step 7: Incorporate Butter into Lemon Cream

Once the lemon cream has cooled below 50°C, add 100g of unsalted butter (cut into pieces) to the cream. Whisk vigorously until the butter is fully incorporated and the cream is smooth and glossy.

Step 8: Fill the Tart with Lemon Cream

Pour the prepared lemon cream into the cooled, blind-baked pastry shell. Spread evenly.

Step 9: Prepare the Italian Meringue

In a small saucepan, combine 150g of granulated sugar and 50ml of water. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Insert a candy thermometer and cook until the syrup reaches 118°C. While the syrup is cooking, in a stand mixer, whisk 3 egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Once the syrup reaches 118°C, slowly and carefully pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the whisking egg whites, continuing to whisk on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue cools down.

Step 10: Pipe and Torch the Meringue

Transfer the Italian meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe decorative swirls or peaks over the lemon cream filling, covering the entire surface. Using a blowtorch, carefully toast the meringue until the peaks are golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

• Use icing sugar for the pastry for a finer texture.

• Ground vanilla provides a purer flavor than vanilla extract.

• Do not overwork the pastry dough to prevent it from becoming tough.

• Allow the lemon cream to cool below 50°C before adding butter to prevent separation.

• When cooking the lemon cream, stir continuously on low heat to avoid burning.

• For Italian meringue, ensure the sugar syrup reaches exactly 118°C for optimal consistency.

• Let the lemon cream tart cool completely before piping the meringue to prevent melting.

• You can use vanilla extract instead of ground vanilla for the pastry.

• If your oven does not have a fan, adjust the blind baking temperature to 180°C.