Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
This pie has a tender pastry crust, a tangy lemon filling and a topping of soft, fluffy meringue. We like to serve it cold with vanilla ice cream. It is best consumed within a day of making as the filling can start to soften the pastry.
We do not recommend using margarine as a substitute for butter in the lemon filling. Because butter sets harder than margarine, the filling will be softer if margarine is used.
We use a 20ml measuring tablespoon. If you are using a 15ml tablespoon, you will need to use 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of cornflour for the filling (otherwise the filling may be too soft).
You will need about 3 lemons for this recipe.
Pastry
70g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
130g (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) plain flour
30g (1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoons) caster sugar
120g cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
Lemon Filling
56g (4 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons) cornflour
170g (3/4 cup) sugar
180ml (2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons) fresh lemon juice
230ml (2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup) water
60g butter, cut into pieces
3 large egg yolks (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
Meringue
3 large egg whites
170g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
Begin by making the pastry. Place the self-raising and plain flours, caster sugar and butter in a food processor. Process on medium speed for about 20 seconds, until mixture resembles fine fresh breadcrumbs (there shouldn't be any large chunks of butter).
Add egg and process on medium speed for about 15-30 seconds, until egg is incorporated and mixture clumps together.
Form dough into a flattened round and place in a freezer bag or wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Combine cornflour, sugar, lemon juice and water in medium saucepan. Stir until mixture is smooth.
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until mixture reaches the boil (this will probably take about 7-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low and continue stirring for about 30-40 seconds, until mixture changes from cloudy to transparent and becomes thick and smooth.
Remove saucepan from heat and vigorously stir in butter and egg yolks. Continue stirring until all the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined.
Pour filling into a small container, cover and refrigerate until cold.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper or on a lightly floured board to fit a 23cm (9 inch) pie plate (pastry should be about 4mm thick and 29cm diameter). Lift pastry into pie plate and gently press into dish.
Trim pastry overhanging the sides.
Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced) for 10 minutes. Remove weights/rice and baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the pastry is a light golden colour. Allow pastry shell to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, or 190 degrees Celsius fan-forced. If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
To make meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until at soft peak stage (when the beater is lifted, a peak will form and then droop over). Add the sugar gradually, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. To test whether the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between your thumb and finger. If you can still feel sugar crystals, beat the meringue for another minute then test again.
Spoon lemon filling into cooled pastry shell and spread evenly. Dollop meringue on top of the lemon filling. Spread meringue to cover filling. Form peaks in the meringue with a spoon (we press the back of a spoon against the surface of the meringue, then lift the spoon to form a peak).
Bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly coloured.
Allow pie to cool to room temperature. Cover pie and refrigerate until cold.
Slice chilled pie into wedges and serve. Store pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au
60 Comments:
Just beautiful! I've tried so many recipes and have always had problems. This one was just perfect. Thanks
This was the best lemon meringue pie ive ever had!(and i've tried a lot of them) And still cant believe i cooked one as good as this. It was a hit at our fathers day dinner we had tonight. I searched the net after losing my normal recipe that i use and i must say that this one was 10 times better.So easy to make and so so yummy.....thanks so much
I made this yesterday and it turned out perfectly (and I rarely bake)! My man was suitably impressed, as were the girls at work who consumed the leftovers today! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
i made this lemon meringue pie in my home ec class and i got great marks (which is really unusual for me, i can't cook) it was great and my friends all loved it at lunch, thanks muchly
~Lu
I have been searching for ages for a great lemon mreingue pie recipe which keeps for a day without the meringue weeping. Thanks so much for posting this recipe which is definitely the best I have tried.
delicious!
I cooked this for a friend whos favourite sweet is this one and I made her go, "mmmmmm im impressed!" So thankyou for this recipe.
I have made about 4 lemon meringue pies in the past and never got it right, however this recipe was so easy and my mum said it was the best she had ever tasted. It looked better than one you would buy in a shop... thanks for the recipe this is the best website.. off to try something else now
i had this pie and it was THE bomb
have been looking for another pud this is quick easy and delicious the best lemon meringue pie we have ever eaten great hot or cold
Really yummy recipe easy to make and lemon filling has fantasic tangy flavour, thanks.
This is simply the most easiest recipes ever for Lemon Meringue Pie. This Pies are simply to Die for.
TRULY AWESOME!
Very easy too!!
This is a wonderful reipe it is so easy and quik to make after the first Lemon meringue i made i made 5 more the same week. It is so yum
My pie looked great but when I went to serve it the lemon filling was not set and made for very sloppy end to dinner! What went wrong??
dude, who ever said the pie wuz sloppy is wrong, since u need 2 chill. the pie i mean, with only the filling in the fridge for aleast 4 hours, them make the meringue, slop in on, make swirly motions, and bake for ten minutes or until the meringue in slightly golden
this pie, is a make ahead pie, but withbeautiful results
It looked fabulous but filling ran - I will chill longer next time & hope that works.
Way too lemony - husband & kids giggling over faces it made us make - maybe when using fresh lemons from tree it should be less juice.
Looks promising though so I will try again.
If you have made this pie and the filling was too soft, but you wish to try again, we have added more detail to the instructions to help you get a better result. Here are some tips to help ensure that the filling isn't too soft.
1. Measure the ingredients as accurately as possible. Weighing the ingredients using good digital scales will probably give the best result.
2. Cornflour is the main thickener in the filling. If you are using a tablespoon to measure the cornflour and your measuring tablespoon is not an Australian metric tablespoon (20ml or 4 teaspoon capacity), then you might not be using enough cornflour. Unfortunately, some measuring tablespoons available in Australia have a 15ml or 3 teaspoon capacity. (In a number of other countries, one tablespoon equals 15ml.) To test yours, see how many 5ml teaspoons of water will fit into one tablespoon.
3. Once the cornflour, sugar, lemon and water mixture has come to the boil and you have reduced the heat, don't remove the saucepan from the heat until the mixture is thick, smooth and transparent.
4. Use butter, not margarine, in the filling (see the reason stated at the start of the recipe).
5. The filling is firmer when the pie is served cold.
One tip I have is that I use a teaspoon of lemon juice in my meringue, it makes it a little zinger and works better with the pie. Although a teaspoon of vinegar will work too (I took this from making Pavlovas).
i used your recipie and made this for my home ech class. it was soo good. thank you so much for posting it. definatly the best iv ever tasted!
thanx!
I want to use this dough in a recipe for a berry pie im making, the only thing is that i have to cook the whole pie for approx 55mins (190oC) and im not sure how much I should cook the crust before I add the filling and lid. Help wopuld be greatly appreciated yours is the only site on the net i trust!
I had never made a Lemon Meringue pie, this recipe was sooo easy to follow & the pie turned out absolutely fabulous..Im keen to bake other things now that i have some confidence in baking thanks to your recipe, you made it so user friendly...
We think that this pastry would probably overbrown if baked for 55 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. Would it be possible to reduce the cooking time (or temperature), or does the filling require this time/temperature?
If you will be baking the whole pie for more than 40 minutes, you may not need to prebake the crust. We don't prebake the base of our apple pie and it doesn't go soggy because the filling isn't very moist and juicy. However, if your berry filling is quite juicy, we would suggest you prebake the base for about 10 minutes.
This looks fantastic! Im overloaded with lemons so this is next up in the kitchen. Plan to use graham crust though....family tradition.
I did make this pie today, with graham crust, it looks and tastes amazing, thanks for sharing the recipe...
I found this recipe and I'd love to give it a try (it seems to have very good reviews) but I do not have a food processor to make the base in. Any hints on getting around this or do I definitely need one?
If you don't have a food processor, you can make this pastry by hand. Place the flours and sugar in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips. Add the egg and stir to combine. Then use your hand to bring the pastry together into a ball.
Is it possible to substitute the self raising flour with plain flour?
You could try using plain flour; however, the pastry won't be as light. If you have some baking powder, you could replace the 70g self-raising flour with 70g plain flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder.
I've made this twice now in a week and each time it's nothing but divine! Thank you! My little baked creation in being showed off my blog too!
Can you make the pastry and lemon filling ahead refrigerate overnight and finish process the next day?
It should be fine to make the pastry and lemon filling a day in advance. Refrigerate the egg whites in a small airtight container so they don't dry out.
I think it was absolutley fantastic! my family enjoyed it immensly, coming from a person who is a disaster in the kitchen i think i did well!
Thankyou!!
This pie is genius!!! I have had several attempts at making this particular type of pie and this is my first at succeeding and wow did it succeed!! Thankyou very much!!!!!
Really great one this is.
For somthing a tad different i use
1/4 lemon juice
2 tbls organe juice
2 tabls lime juice
makes it more a citrus pie and less tart.
another great recipe girls thanks
xxoo
LOVE IT!!!!! :) I just finished making it, it's in the oven now cant wait to eat it hehe :) thanks so much
My whole family was very impressed with this pie. It was so easy and enjoyable and much better than any bought one could ever be. I made it for my husband's birthday and put a few candles around it. Made the pastry and filling in morning and meringue at about 5.00pm, it looked exactly like your picture. Perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe, I will be using you website for more cooking in future.
I just made it today but it unfortunately I think I messed up the filling.
It's really watery and not firm at all. I followed all the instructions (used butter and chilled it). I think I didn't heat it long enough. I thought it was thick and soft but obviously not thick enough.The colour of my filling is just as the picture.
Secondly, I felt as if I didn't have enough meringue to cover my pie.
But it could be due to the mixer I'm using. It's a handheld portable mixer. Would whipping it manually improve the thickness of the meringue?
Either way, the taste is there. I just need to fix the filling part :D
Hi Miszmilk,
After your filling mixture came to the boil, did you notice the mixture change from cloudy to clear? To ensure the filling will be thick enough, we continue to cook it until we notice this change in appearance. Also, make sure you measure the amount of cornflour as accurately as possible.
If your mixer is not very good at aerating the egg whites then you will have a smaller volume of meringue to work with. Using only a hand whisk to make the meringue would be hard work! You could try beating the egg whites with your mixer for about 10 minutes, and then switching to a hand whisk to finish them off.
so proud that I have conquered the lemon meringue pie! or more in my case a lime meringue pie...it was amazing!
Amazing recipe!
I just added a bit of Lemon zest to the filling.
Just Beautiful, first time Lemon Meringue pie maker, and it turned out GREAT... Thanks so much for posting this great recipe :)
wow what a wonderful recipe, and it is quick and simple.
just marvellous!
ours turned out "perfect"
havent made it yet but am really looking forward to it!!
sounds like a fantastic recipe
lots of love
random teenager
This was really really really good, it was sooo quick and easy, and DELICIOUS!!! :D
Good recipe, and probably one of the best you'll find.
However it was way too lemony which pretty much ruined what was otherwise a very well formed and attractive pie.
Like previous comments that have been made, when using fresh lemon you don't need anywhere near 180ml of lemon juice.
I'm sure you could cut it down to half and then if it's not strong enough it won't be the end of the world, and better than being too overpowering.
Other than that, no problems!
this pie was DELICIOUS!!!!!
it was so easy to make, i always thought that Lemon Meringue Pie would be difficult to make but..
..it was so easy and fun
YUM!
Very nice recipe that makes a delicious end result. I have just made one for my Grandmother's birthday and it has turned out fantastic.
The lemon filling is the perfect tartness to sweetness ratio. Grandma thought so as well.
I used a teaspoon of Cream of Tartar in the meringue mixture and it has turned out beautifully.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe...Grandma thanks you as well.
i am planning on making this pie soon but i do not have enough time to refrigerate the lemon filling for several hours, so could i put it in the freezer for a shorter amount of time or would it be better to make it the night before?
i would appreciate som advice and extra tips!
thanks a million!
We don't recommend cooling the filling in the freezer as any freezing of the filling may harm its texture. Please see the above comment dated 20/12/07.
Is this filling the same filling you use to make Citrus tarts.. or difference
I just made this a couple days ago and wow. I'm allergic to eggs, so I couldn't really eat it (I did have a bite or two just to make sure it was okay, and suffered for that), but it's one of my boyfriend's favourite sweets. I've been putting off making it, as I've never done it before, but this could not have been easier.
The only thing I did differently was I used 100 ml fresh lemon juice, then the rest was from the bottle (3 lemons wasn't enough for me). The lemon flavor wasn't too strong at all, and I'm not sure it would have been even if I had used all fresh lemon juice. I suppose it depends on your tastes. All I know is that cutting it in half was nowhere NEAR lemony enough.
I also have to say that you REALLY do have to chill for hours. I agree with another reviewer who recommend chilling just the filling for 4 hours, and then the chill the pie for an additional four, I think. Otherwise it really is too runny. So plan ahead!
And thank you Amanda and Debbie =)
Hi Anonymous,
You could use our lemon meringue pie filling to make a citrus tart. However, we generally think of citrus tart as something like this, where the filling does not contain cornflour or water.
I have attempted this lemon meringue pie twice. The first time I think I added the butter & yolk too early. The second time I followed the recipe exactly and it was better but still quite runny. I am not quite sure what else to do to ensure it is firm. What would happen if I increased the corn flour? I would also like to reduce the amount of lemon juice by half.
I used this recipe to make mini meringue pies ... THANK YOU you made it soooo easy and I am the star chef in my house now!!!!!
Hi Lauren
Have you tried the suggestions from our comment dated 1/8/07? If you increase the quantity of cornflour or reduce the amount of liquid (e.g. lemon juice), the filling will have a thicker consistency.
I had always wanted to make one of these pies...my first attempt was really great. It was easy to follow my crust was a little hard as didn't roll out so evenly!No one else notices it...will try again.
Thank you so much for such a beautifully written, easy to follow recipe. I am allergic to wheat and dairy so modified the ingredients and it still worked perfectly. The only change I needed to make was to reduce the pastry cooking time a tiny bit as gluten free flours seem to cook more quickly than wheat flour and cause the pastry to be overly crumbly. A perfect result and by far the best Lemon Meringue Pie I've eaten. Thanks a million!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the first time I every make a lemon meringue pie and it turned out awesome! It looked great too. I just have one tiny suggestion brought to my attention by my mother. Is it possible to add a hint of vanilla to the meringue to take away the egg flavor?
Thanks again! =)
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