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Authentic Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe France, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Lemon meringue pie is one of the few desserts that have received international acclaim. The pie is composed of a shortcrust pastry base, a tangy lemon curd, and a fluffy meringue. It all starts with making and pre-baking the pie crust. Flour, salt, butter, and water are combined into a dough ball that is then flattened, covered with plastic wrap, and left in the refrigerator to rest. The dough is then rolled out into a circle, placed within a pie mold, lined with a piece of parchment paper topped with baking stones, and baked until golden brown. For the lemon filling, eggs, sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest are whisked together and simmered over medium heat. Once thickened, cubed butter is stirred into the mixture until it melts completely. The lemon curd is then evenly distributed across the shortcrust pastry and left to cool in the refrigerator. Lastly, for the meringue, egg whites are mixed at medium speed until foamy. One tablespoon at a time, sugar ... Read more
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Cooking tips
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egg whites
When making the meringue, make sure that your egg whites are at room temperature. Room temperature egg whites not only whip faster than cold eggs, but they whip into a greater volume as well. -
meringue
Weeping meringue is a common problem when making lemon meringue pie. To stop a slippery layer forming between the meringue and the curd, make sure that the curd is hot when topping it with the meringue. This way, you will enable the meringue to cook from the bottom slightly. Additionally, the bowl in which you are making the meringue must be dry, clean, and grease free. -
decoration
Once you have spread the meringue over the curd, give it a couple of swirls with a spatula. By doing this, you will create little peaks on top of the pie, which will give it a more rustic look. -
lemon curd
It is often unclear how to check if the curd has been perfectly cooked or not. One solution is to drag a spatula through the curd, and if you can see the bottom of the pan for a couple of seconds before the curd falls back on itself, you will know that it is done. -
cutting
To ensure a perfect slice of lemon meringue pie, it is important to let the pie cool before cutting and serving it. If you cut the pie before the curd has stiffened, it will probably break, and the meringue will fall. Also, you might want to cool your knife with cold water before cutting the pie.
Recipe variations
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Mrs. Goodfellow's Lemon Meringue Pie
Ready in 2h 45minThis recipe is adapted from Walter Staib's 2013 Sweet Taste of History cookbook. Simple and sweet, a classic lemon meringue pie is not very time-consuming to make and calls for basic ingredients such as flour, butter, eggs, and lemon juice. The trickiest part is to pull off a perfect meringue, but as long as the bowl is dry and clean, no egg yolks enter the mix, and you do not underbeat the egg whites, no problems will arise.
-
Quick Lemon Meringue Pie
Ready in 1h 45minThis recipe is adapted from the www.cuisineaz.com website. When you are on a tight schedule but still want to make a delicious lemon meringue pie, this is a recipe that takes very little time and effort to prepare since it uses store-bought shortcrust pastry. Additionally, cornstarch is used as a gelling agent to make the lemon curd.
-
Two Bite Lemon Meringue Pies
Ready in 1h 32minThis recipe is adapted from the portandfin.com website. If you prefer muffin-like desserts that can be nibbled while on the go, here is a simple recipe that encapsulates the essence of a lemon meringue pie in snack-sized bites of citrusy delight. For this recipe, a mini muffin pan that serves 24 little pies is needed.
Stone Fruit Meringue Pie
PREP 1h
COOK 45min
READY IN 1h 45min
This recipe is adapted from the wistsandzests.com website. To counterbalance the acidity of traditional lemon curd, adding sweet stone fruit leads to a beautifully elegant filling that is perfect for hot summer days.
Ingredients
Stone Fruit Meringue Pie
PASTRY
1 1/4 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
6 tbsp (90 g) butter frozen
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (60 mL) water
FILLING
2 lb (900 g) mixed stone fruit peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots, plums
4 tbsp (60 g) butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
4 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
MERINGUE
4 egg whites room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Preparation
1
Stone Fruit Meringue Pie
Step 1/13
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Grate the butter into the dry ingredients and work it in with your hands until a coarse mixture is formed.
Step 2/13
Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut the water into the pastry, then bring the shaggy mass together with your hands. Shape the dough into a disc, plastic wrap it, and leave it to chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Step 3/13
To make the filling, blanch and peel your fruit of choice (you can combine nectarines and peaches). Cube the fruit and combine it with the butter and lemon juice in a medium-large saucepan.
Step 4/13
Cook down the fruit on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. As the fruit softens, squash the larger pieces against the sides of the pan using a spoon.
Step 5/13
Roll out the dough into a ¼-inch (6 mm) thick circle and drape it over a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan. Fold the excess dough inward, creating a double layer of pastry on the edges of the pan. Crimp the edges and prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Leave to cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Step 6/13
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a piece of parchment paper over the pastry and pour dry or baking beans on top.
Step 7/13
Bake the pastry for 13 minutes. Proceed with removing the parchment paper and the weights, returning the pie crust to the oven for 6-8 more minutes.
Step 8/13
To make the filling, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add ¼ of a cup (60 g) of hot fruit to the eggs. Combine the eggs with the remaining fruit mixture and cook until the filling starts to thicken.
Step 9/13
Set the filling aside to cool.
Step 10/13
Make the meringue by beating the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form. One tablespoon at a time, add the sugar, beating the eggs after each new addition. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.
Step 11/13
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F/190°C. Evenly spread the fruit filling across the base of the pastry. Scoop a dollop of meringue and top the pie with it. Using a spatula, spread the meringue until it touches the edges of the pastry and seals in the fruit filling.
Step 12/13
Bake for 14-16 minutes until the meringue is browned.
Step 13/13
Before slicing, allow the pie to cool down.
Other Variations
-
Mrs. Goodfellow's Lemon Meringue Pie
Ready in 2h 45minThis recipe is adapted from Walter Staib's 2013 Sweet Taste of History cookbook. Simple and sweet, a classic lemon meringue pie is not very time-consuming to make and calls for basic ingredients such as flour, butter, eggs, and lemon juice. The trickiest part is to pull off a perfect meringue, but as long as the bowl is dry and clean, no egg yolks enter the mix, and you do not underbeat the egg whites, no problems will arise.
-
Quick Lemon Meringue Pie
Ready in 1h 45minThis recipe is adapted from the www.cuisineaz.com website. When you are on a tight schedule but still want to make a delicious lemon meringue pie, this is a recipe that takes very little time and effort to prepare since it uses store-bought shortcrust pastry. Additionally, cornstarch is used as a gelling agent to make the lemon curd.
-
Two Bite Lemon Meringue Pies
Ready in 1h 32minThis recipe is adapted from the portandfin.com website. If you prefer muffin-like desserts that can be nibbled while on the go, here is a simple recipe that encapsulates the essence of a lemon meringue pie in snack-sized bites of citrusy delight. For this recipe, a mini muffin pan that serves 24 little pies is needed.
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