DAD'S FOOD: LEMON MERINGUE PIE WITH A DOUBLE SURPRISE, a Make-Ahead Indulgence

The perfect Guy's dessert
photo  6/6/16 

Lemon Meringue Pie with a Double Surprise  (using ready made tart shells)
' Amazing; all round perfect!  Loved the raspberry addition.'  20+ tasters 

Lemon Meringue Pie is another of those once-a-year 'bloke' treats hauled out on special occasions.

Forget about healthy -- this one is a definite Indulgence.  The only way to exert dietary discipline is to practice portion control. Good luck with that.

For the cook, this recipe is a blessing.  Everything but the meringue can be prepared in advance.  The lemon curd filling, using a simple no-fuss recipe, can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated. The pastry can be made ready the day before but the meringue should be made and the pie constructed on the day.

Lemon Meringue tartlets 

The Blogger planned to use Easy-Peasy Pastry but for various reasons wasn't able to.  Ready-made sweet pastry tarts from M&S and Waitrose were tested instead -- about £2.50 for one large or 6 medium.  The thickness of the ready-made tarts was a little worrying but, in this recipe, they made an excellent base for the layers of filling.  Few will guess they were not made with the cook's fine fair hands.

Ready made pastry tarts are used in many top-flight catering units.  They are one of the few processed foods 67 is happy to use now and again, especially for creamy or custardy fillings. 

For sweet tarts, brush the bases with melted chocolate to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. 

Cost: £3, more for store-bought pastry
Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:
   1 large baked pastry shell, or 6-8 smaller ones, with the bottoms and lower sides brushed with melted chocolate and allowed to set (the chocolate needs to be well melted, until it flows easily)

   Filling:
     2 oz/60gm butter, at room temperature 
    2 1/2-3 oz/70-90 gm sugar 
    2 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks  ( extra yolks are optional but make the curd wonderfully rich.) Save whites for meringues; they freeze well.  
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

      juice (no zest) of 2 lemons

   Meringue:
       2-3 egg whites
       2 1/2-4 oz/110gm sugar

  1 punnet fresh raspberries (opt) 
  
Method:

Filling

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil; reduce heat to a simmer; have ready a heatproof bowl that fits on top but does not touch the water  
2. Beat butter and sugar together until light, pale & fluffy - it will take a few mins 
3. Add eggs and yolks (if using); beat till blended
4. Add vanilla;beat
5. Add lemon zest and juice; blend thoroughly -- it will look ghastly and curdled but will turn silky smooth later 
6. Pour into the heatproof bowl; place over boiling water in saucepan 
7. Stir constantly with a whisk (don't leave it!); after a few minutes the mix will begin to thicken
8. As you meet more resistance, poke the back of a wooden spoon into the curd; if the curd coats the spoon and your finger leaves a trail through it, it is done
9. Pour through a fine mesh sieve (removing any bits of egg or impurities) into a clean dish; cover surface completely with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming
10. Leave for an hour; then refrigerate
11. It lasts 5 days 

Meringue (prepare on the day)  

1. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks (the tops will be floppy)
2. Add sugar, one teaspoon at a time, continuing to beat until sugar is used up and the meringue is stiff and glossy

Constructing the pie (on the day):

1. Pre-heat oven to 350f/180c/gas4
2. Line chocolate covered base with halved raspberries if using
3. Spoon or pipe over the lemon curd; level with spatula
4. Pile meringue on top, right to the edges; swirl attractively
5. Bake 15 mins or until meringue is crisp and golden (check after 10 mins)  

Tips:

• instead of making one large pie, make tartlets
• leftovers - should there be any - are great the following day    

                                                  More desserts on NavBar: Recipes II (bottom page)

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.