SPECIAL OCCASION LEMON RASPBERRY MERINGUE PIE

Get ready for Father's Day with a 'guy' food dessert, incl. a surprise ingredient...

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

photo  6/6/16  

Lemon Meringue Pie is another of those once-a-year 'bloke' treats hauled out for 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.  You can buy supermarket ready made tart shell/s.   The lemon curd filling, using a simple no-fuss recipe, can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated. (If you must, buy in some good artisanal lemon curd but, honest - home made is not difficult and a cut above even artisanal lemon curds).  But the meringue and the construction should be left to the day of serving.   

Lemon Meringue tartlets 

67 tested ready-made sweet pastry tarts from M&S and Waitrose -- about £3-ish 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 tasty base for the layers of filling.  

(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.) 

Whether home-made or brought in, the pastry shells must be brushed with melted chocolate to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom.

If cooking for a crowd, this can be made in a rectangular tin with frozen pastry and cut into small squares.   

Cost: £3.50 for home-made; more for store-bought pastry and curd  
Feeds: 6-8 circle; many more in squares 


Ingred:
   1 large pre-baked pastry shell (about 200gm/7oz), or 6-8 smaller ones, with the bottoms and lower sides brushed with melted chocolate and allowed to set
    50-65gm/1.75-2.3oz dark chocolate, melted (70% cocoa recommended) 
  
   Filling:
     2 oz/60gm butter, at room temperature 
     2.5-3 oz/70-90 gm sugar 
     2 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks  ( extra yolks are optional but make the curd wonderfully rich.) 
     1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

       juice (no zest) of 2 lemons

   Meringue:
       2-3 egg whites
       min 2.5-max 4 oz/70-113gm sugar

    1 punnet fresh raspberries 
  
Method:

Lemon Filling (can be done up to 5 days in advance)

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

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 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:

• save extra egg whites for meringues; they freeze well 
• leftovers 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.