It can be hard to think of summer pudding recipes, ones which will not melt as easily as chocolate.
This makes Mary Berry’s lemon meringue pie the perfect option, with only a handful of ingredients needed.
The recipe notes said: “Mary Berry shows you how to make an easy lemon meringue pie with no soggy bottoms in sight.”
This pie serves eight to 10 people and preparation time takes less than 30 minutes, while the cooking time also takes less than 30 minutes, perfect for those in a rush.
While you can use shop-purchased pastry, Mary recommends making your own, with just a few steps.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
225g plain flour
175g butter
45g icing sugar
One large free-range egg, bean
For the lemon filling:
Six lemons, zest and juice
65g cornflour
250g caster sugar
Six free-range egg yolks
For the meringue:
Four free-range egg whites
225g caster sugar
Two teaspoons of cornflour
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 180C and then make the pastry. Measure the flour and butter into a food processor and blend together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the icing sugar, egg and one tablespoon of water before mixing it again until combined into a ball. Tip the pastry onto a floured work surface and roll out to 3mm thickness.
Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry and transfer it to a 23cm loose-bottomed flat tin. Cover in cling film and place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Once set, take it out of the fridge and trim the excess pastry. Line the pastry case with parchment paper and fill it with baking beans, baking it for 15 minutes before removing the beans and parchment and baking for another five.
Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170C. For the filling, mix the lemon zest and juice with the cornflour and stir to form a smooth paste.
Measure 450ml water into a pan and bring to a boil. Add the lemon cornflour mixture to the hot water and stir over the heat until it has thickened, then remove from the heat.
In a bowl mix together the sugar and egg yolks and slowly whisk into the lemon mixture in the pan. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Set aside to cool for a few minutes and then pour it into the pastry case.
For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a free-standing mixer until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the caster sugar slowly, still whisking until it is stiff and glossy, add the cornflour and mix again.
Spoon on top of the filled pastry case and spread the meringue to completely cover the lemon filling, then create a swirl on the top of the meringue.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the filling is set and the meringue is turning golden. Allow to cool completely before cutting or serve slightly warm with some ice cream.
