FATHERS' DAY: LEMON MERINGUE PIE WITH A DOUBLE SURPRISE, make ahead

The perfect Dad's dessert

Lemon Meringue Pie with a Double Surprise  (using ready made tart shells)

' Amazing; all round perfect!  Loved the raspberry addition.'  20+ tasters (photo june 2016)

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. If you must, buy a good thick curd instead, but once you try home-made, you'll never go back.  

Ready made pastry instead of homemade will save time; bought in pastry  shells can be prepped on the day.  Homemade can be made the day before needed and wrapped well.  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.

Whether homemade or bought in, the tarts should be brushed with melted chocolate (use a pastry brush) to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. 

If cooking for a crowd, this can be made in a rectangular tin with supermarket all-butter shortcrust pastry.  Once cool, cut in medium to small squares.

Cost: £3 for home-made; about £5?? for store-bought pastry and curd  
Feeds: 6-8 round; many more in squares

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)
   50-65gm/1.75-2.3oz 70% dark chocolate, melted
    
   Lemon Curd 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 meringue.)  
   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 
  
Method:

Lemon Filling (prep up to 5 days ahead)

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 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; when 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; refrigerate
11. It lasts 5 days 

Pastry case/s: (can be done the day before)

1. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until completely melted
2. Generously brush base and sides with melted chocolate.
3. Allow to cool; chocolate will solidify
4. If preparing in advance, wrap well in cling film; store in a cool place

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 
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
• if there are leftovers; they still taste 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.