← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp Icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 50 g cornflour (cornstarch)
• 200 g caster (superfine) sugar
• 4 lemons, zest of 2 and juice of all 4 (about 150 ml)
• 300 ml Water
• 60 g unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 large egg whites
• 200 g caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)

Method

1. Rub the flour and butter together until like breadcrumbs, stir in the icing sugar, then add the yolk and water and bring together into a dough. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 min.
2. Roll out and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving a little overhang. Prick the base and chill while you heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).
3. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 min. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5–8 min more, until pale biscuit-coloured. Trim the overhang and turn the oven down to 170°C (150°C fan, 340°F).
4. For the filling, mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a pan, then gradually whisk in the water and lemon juice. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring all the time, and bubble for 1–2 min until very thick.
5. Take off the heat and beat in the butter, then the yolks one at a time. Return to low heat for 1 minute, stirring, then pour into the pastry case.
6. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking until stiff and glossy. Whisk in the cornflour.
7. Spoon the meringue over the hot filling, starting at the edge and making sure it touches the pastry all round, then pile the rest in the middle and swirl into peaks.
8. Bake for 18–20 min, until the meringue is crisp and golden on the peaks. Cool in the tin for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tips

• Spreading meringue onto hot filling and sealing it to the pastry stops it shrinking and weeping.
• It is best eaten the day it is made; the fridge makes meringue sticky.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food Great British Chefs BBC Good Food