Lemon meringue tart

Preheat an oven to 180°C.

Prepare the crust

Ensure the frozen shortcrust pastry has defrosted and roll out into a large circle. Place it in a 20cm round pie or cake tin. Trim and crimp the edges as desired. Refrigerate for 20 minutes while you make the filling.

Line the shortcrust pastry with a piece of baking paper and fill with dried beans, evenly distributing them around the pie dish. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove the beans and baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool slightly.

Prepare the lemon filling

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl and add the egg yolks, salt and lemon zest. Whisk to combine. Add the lemon juice and whisk vigorously until well combined and you no longer see any liquid. The lemon juice will thicken the condensed milk.

Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The lemon filling is done when the edges are set with a slightly jiggly in the center.

Remove from the oven and let it cool. Once cool, cover the pan and refrigerate until firm for at least 3 hours before serving. 5 to 6 hours or overnight is ideal, but you can chill for up to 2 days.

Make the meringue

Place the egg whites, sugar and salt into a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Whisk continuously and heat until the egg whites have thinned and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the meringue from the heat. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer, beat the meringue on high speed until white, fluffy, stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble

Add the meringue onto the prepared lemon filling. Use a spatula, distribute the meringue all over the top of the prepared lemon pie.

Use the back of a spoon to create some swirls and peaks, if desired.

Toast the meringue topping with a blow torch to caramelise the meringue or pop it under the grill for 1 – 2 minutes.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Notes

200 g crushed biscuits and 1/4 cup butter can be used to make a crust if you don’t have shortcrust pastry on hand but make sure to skip the crust pre-baking steps.

This recipe makes an lemon meringue tart with a generous lemon curd filling, but the filling ingredients can easily be halved, if desired.

Wait to make the meringue and assemble just before serving.