Recipe: Lemon Meringue Pie

A crispy crust filled with lemon cream made from organic lemons and topped with meringue: Sounds tempting, doesn't it? This pie tastes best straight out of the fridge . Recipe by Nicole Giger, Mags Frisch.

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry

• 200 g flour
• 130 g cold butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 pinches of salt

Lemon curd filling

• 3 lemons, juice and zest
• 100 g butter
• 150 g sugar
• 2 eggs

Meringue

• 3 fresh egg whites
• 2 pinches of salt
• 100 g sugar

Method

Shortcrust pastry

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes, add to the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingertips until you get an even, crumbly consistency.
2. Whisk in the egg and form into a dough – do not knead! Flatten the ball of dough, cover it and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
3. Flatten the ball of dough and roll it out on a well-floured worktop. Carefully transfer the dough into a well-greased tart tin and firmly press down the edges and base. Prick the base several times with a fork.
4. Blind bake the pastry base: Cover the base with a sheet of baking parchment and fill with dried pulses, such as chickpeas. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes in the lower half of the oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius with top and bottom heating. Take it out of the oven and remove the pulses and baking parchment.

Lemon curd filling

1. Juice and zest the lemons.
2. Melt the butter with the lemon zest and juice in a pan on low heat. Add the sugar and stir well until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. Add the eggs and heat the mixture on low, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly.
4. Strain the curd through a sieve into a bowl and leave to cool slightly.
5. Spread the curd over the pastry base.

Meringue and final baking

1. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until very stiff.
2. Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the beaten egg whites over the curd with a spoon.
3. Now bake the pie for about 8 to 12 minutes in the lower half of the oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius. Then reduce the heat to 160 degrees and bake again for about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Open the oven door and leave the pie to cool in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove it and allow it to cool completely. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Tip: Leftover lemon curd can also be used in other recipes, such as on pancakes or simply as a spread.