Indy Cafe Cookbook Volume 2, RRP £20 available from indycoffee.guide
How to Make This Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie
Don't miss this deliciously indulgent recipe
A recipe book like no other, Indy Cafe Cookbook features a curated selection of signature dishes and pairing suggestions from some of the UK's hero speciality cafés, roasteries and bakeries. Here we share the recipe for this mile-high lemon meringue pie which popular North-East bakery, PureKnead is famous for.
Serves
8–10
Preparation time
1 hour 25 minutes
Cooking time
1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
- You will need
- 20cm round tin (a deep quiche tin works well)
- For the pastry
- 225g plain flour
- 5 tbsp semolina or ground almonds
- 120g icing sugar
- 170g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
- For the lemon filling
- 285ml lemon juice
- 2 lemons, zest
- 450g granulated sugar
- 6 free-range eggs
- 65g plain flour
- 1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
- A pinch of salt
- For the meringue
- 180g free-range egg whites, room temperature
- 450g caster sugar
- 180g water
Method
For the pastry: in a large bowl, combine the flour, semolina (or ground almonds) and icing sugar. Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs one at a time until the pastry comes together when squeezed – you don't want it to be too sticky. Wrap the bowl with clingfilm or greaseproof paper and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Place in the baking tin, gently pressing the pastry into the corners – if it tears, gently push it together to fill any gaps. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Line the pastry with greaseproof paper, cover with baking beans and bake for approximately 30 minutes until the top edges turn golden. Remove the beans and paper, then gently prick the pastry base with a fork. Glaze with the egg yolk to waterproof the pastry and return to the oven for five minutes.
For the lemon filling: preheat the oven to 145C/gas 1. In a saucepan over a low-medium heat, combine the lemon juice, zest and sugar and gently heat until the sugar dissolves. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour, then pour the hot lemon mix into it, whisking continuously. Pour the lemon filling into the pastry case and bake for approximately 35 minutes until set. Chill it in the fridge for one to two hours, or overnight.
For the meringue: in a clean bowl (use a stand mixer if you have one), whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water and heat to 116C. Pour the sugar mixture into the egg whites and gently whisk until incorporated. Leave to cool.
Spoon the meringue on top of the lemon filling, swirl with the back of a wet spoon to shape. Use a blow torch, or put in a hot oven, to brown. Serve chilled.
Chef's tip: If you can't be bothered to zest the lemons, pare roughly with a vegetable peeler, put in a food processor with the sugar, and blitz.
Indy Cafe Cookbook Volume 2, RRP £20 available from indycoffee.guide
