Lemon Smores Meringue Pie Food

THE BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt and vinegar in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until you can still see large pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 3 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie dish, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough drape over the sides. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Trim any excess dough with a paring knife and crimp the edges decoratively or press them down with the tines of a fork. Prick the dough on the bottom all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to combine. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate medium bowl. Place the sugar mixture over medium heat and cook, continuing to gently whisk, until the mixture begins to bubble and is extremely thick. Temper the eggs yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while constantly whisking. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest until completely melted and incorporated. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the filling (see Cook's Note). Refrigerate while you make the meringue.
• For the meringue: Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk together to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the vanilla. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.) Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.

LEMON S'MORES MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Sift the flour and icing sugar together, and add the vanilla seeds. Rub in the butter, then stir the egg in to make a dough. Cover in clingfilm, then leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Flour your surface and butter 6 x 10cm individual tart cases. Roll out the pastry to 2mm thick and cut into circles with a 15cm diameter. Carefully lift each one into the case and push it in so it fits snugly. Pop back in the fridge to firm up for 20 minutes.
• Take out, line with baking paper or foil, and add a handful of rice or baking beans. Blind bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and beans and put the tarts back in for 5 minutes, or until the case is cooked. Take out and cool at room temperature.
• To make the curd, mix the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a large glass bowl and sit over a pan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens. This should take 7-8 minutes. Beat in the butter a few cubes at a time until the curd is smooth. Cool with a piece of parchment paper or clingfilm on top.
• Spread the marshmallows on a tray and toast with a blowtorch or under a hot grill until dark brown. Scrape them out, add to the curd and stir. Don't worry about any lumps. Re-clingfilm the curd and allow to set in the fridge.
• To make the meringue, put the sugar in a pan and pour 200g water over it. Heat until the sugar has dissolved then boil until the temperature reaches 116C on a sugar thermometer.
• Meanwhile put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk at a slow speed. Once the sugar reaches 116C, increase the speed of whisking to create soft peaks. When the sugar reaches 121C, pour slowly into the egg whites while whisking at a high speed. Once the syrup has been added, whisk until the meringue cools to room temperature. Scrape into a piping bag with a 10-12mm plain nozzle.
• Spoon the marshmallow and lemon curd into the tartlets and level to the tops. Pipe the Italian meringue over, in dots for a neat finish pulling the piping bag un to make a peak on each. Use a blowtorch or a hot grill, quickly brown the meringue. It will only take a few seconds.

THE ULTIMATE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make pie shell: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, by pulsing a few times.
• Scatter the frozen butter pieces over flour mixture.
• Pulse in 1-second pulses about 5 times to mix in butter.
• Add frozen shortening; pulsing in 1-second pulses until mixture resembles cornmeal with pieces about the size of peas.
• Slowly add ice water through the processor feed tube, with motor running, one tbsp at a time.
• When dough forms a ball, stop processing.
• It should take about 2 or 3 tbsp of ice water to reach this stage.
• Shape dough into a ball in your flour coated hands, and then flatten into a 4 inch wide disk.
• Flour disk and wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Generously coat your work surface or pastry sheet with a little flour and about 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs.
• Place dough on floured surface, coat with some flour and graham cracker crumbs, and roll into a 9-inch disk.
• Lift, coat surface with more graham and flour, turn dough, add more graham and flour on top, and roll out to a 13 inch disk.
• Place into a 9 inch pie pan, and finish edges.
• Refrigerate crust until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Prick dough with a fork to prevent bubbling up in the oven.
• While the oven is pre-heating to 375, put pie crust in freezer.
• Bake at 375 for 20- 25 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it's browning evenly and not bubbling up.
• Lemon Filling: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large, nonreactive saucepan.
• Add egg yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups water.
• Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking regularly, 8- 10 minutes, until thickened.
• Remove from heat, whisk in zest, then juice, and finally butter.
• Keep warm until meringue is made.
• Meringue topping: Mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened.
• Remove from heat when translucent and thickened.
• Preheat oven to 325.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix cream of tartar and sugar together.
• Beat egg whites with whip attachment of mixer until frothy. Add vanilla.
• Beat in sugar mixture, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Then drop in cornstarch mixture, 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form.
• Pour warm lemon filling into pie crust.
• Distribute meringue evenly over the top, starting with the edges, and then the middle.
• Make sure it attaches to the crust.
• Lifting with the back of the spoon, create peaks in the meringue.
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before serving.

ULTIMATE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• For the pastry, put the plain flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) and 1 tbsp cold water into a food processor. Pulse until the mix starts to bind - make sure the mix is not overworked.
• Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather together until smooth, then roll out and line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottom fluted flan tin. Trim and neaten the edges. Press pastry into the flutes. The pastry is quite rich, so don't worry if it cracks, just press it back together. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, shiny side down, and chill for 30 mins-1 hr (or overnight).
• Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the pastry case 'blind' (filled with dry beans) for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake a further 5-8 mins until the pastry is pale golden and cooked. Set aside. Can be done a day ahead. Lower the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling. Mix the cornflour, golden caster sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Strain and stir in the lemon juice gradually. Make the orange juice up to 200ml with water and strain into the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
• Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Beat the egg yolks (save white for meringue) and the whole egg together, stir into the pan and return to a medium heat. Keep stirring vigorously for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens and plops from the spoon. (It will bubble, but doesn't curdle.) Take off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue.
• Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk to soft peaks, then add 100g of the golden caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition without overbeating. Whisk in the cornflour, then add the remaining 100g of sugar as before until smooth and thick.
• Quickly reheat the filling and pour it into the pastry case. Immediately put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling (if you start in the middle, the meringue may sink), then spread so it just touches the pastry (this will anchor it and help stop it sliding). Pile the rest into the centre, spreading so it touches the surface of the hot filling (and starts to cook), then give it all a swirl.
• Return to the oven for 18-20 mins until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit in the tin for 30 mins, then remove and leave for at least another 30 mins-1 hr before slicing. Eat the same day.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Either by hand or using a food mixer with a beater attachment, cream the butter, icing sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest together. Add the milk and combine well. Tip in the flour and a pinch of salt, then rub or beat to form a dough. Shape into a thick disc and chill for at least 30 mins or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the lemon filling. Beat the eggs and sugar together then add the zest and juice and stir in the double cream. Cover and put to one side.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll pastry out to a little thicker than a £1 coin and line a 23cm tart tin. Leave the excess pastry around the edges as this can be cut off when the tart has been cooked. Line the tart case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake for 20 mins. Remove the baking beans and reduce the heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 20 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Trim off the excess pastry from the edge of the tart using a serrated knife.
• Pour the lemon mix into the tart case. This may be easier with the tart case sitting in an open oven as so not to have to move it when full of mixture. Turn the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and cook for 30-35 mins until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Remove and cool to room temperature.
• For the meringue, put the sugar, 65ml of water and the glucose in a heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Once it is dissolved, bring to the boil and use a sugar thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
• Using a pastry brush dipped into cold water, brush down the inside of the pan just above the level of the sugar syrup, this will stop the sugar crystallising. Place the egg whites into a food mixer with a whisk attachment and when the syrup temp reaches 110C, turn on the mixer and whisk the whites
• When the temperature reaches 118C (soft ball - this will be marked on the sugar thermometer), steadily pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the now stiff egg whites and continue whisking for 20 mins until completely cold. Transfer into a piping bag with a medium-size star nozzle. As it is cooked, this meringue can be made in advance. You can even make it the day before.
• You can pipe the meringue onto the tart as a whole or in individual portions, then glaze with a blowtorch. It can be easier and neater to cut the slices before piping with meringue. They can still be served in tart formation on a serving dish, with an ice-cold glass of limoncello, if you like.