My Authentic Lemon Meringue Pie

Tarte au citron meringuée : instructions

• Shortbread dough
  • 1
    First, your butter should be slightly softened, but not melted.
    Cut it into large cubes and take it out of the fridge ahead of time, or microwave it for one minute on very low power (200W).
  • 2
    In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, powdered sugar, and salt.
    Rub the mixture between your hands for about 3 minutes until it resembles "sand," much like couscous.
    
  • 3
    Add the egg yolk and cold water.
    Mix by hand to combine all the ingredients, and as soon as you see the dough forming, stop mixing; otherwise, it will become too elastic.
    
  • 4
    Knead the dough: press it down with the palm of your hand, working in small amounts at
    a time. Once kneaded, shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes.
    The airtight container will help the dough retain its moisture, especially if you let it rest overnight!
    
• Lemon pastry cream
  • 5
    Grate the zest from the lemons.
    Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the grated zest.
    Squeeze the lemons and set the juice aside.
    
  • 6
    Bring the milk to a boil over low heat so it absorbs the flavor of the zest.
    
    The expression "watch it like a hawk" is especially apt here, because milk tends to rise slowly and silently before spilling over the edge of your pot! Use a boil-over guard if you want to do something else in the meantime.
    
  • 7
    Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture turns pale. Then
    add the flour and fold it into the pale egg mixture.
    
  • 8
    Gradually pour the boiling milk over the eggs, stirring vigorously.
    Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook it over low heat for a few minutes , stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens.
    
  • 9
    Pour the cream into the mixing bowl.
    Add the specified amount of lemon juice.
    Mix well and let cool.
    
• Baking the dough
  • 10
    Preheat the oven to 180°C.
    Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 3 mm.
    
  • 11
    Butter a large pie pan or line it with parchment paper. Then
    line the pan with the dough, leaving a 5mm overhang, which you’ll pinch between your thumb and index finger at regular intervals to decorate it.
    
    The Chef's Tip

    Prick the bottom of the pie with a fork so the dough can bake without puffing up.
    
  • 12
    Bake the pie crust for 20 minutes.
  • 13
    Take the pie crust out of the oven. Let it cool without turning off the oven.
• Meringue and filling
  • 14
    Spread the pastry cream over the tart and smooth the surface with a spatula.
    Increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
    
  • 15
    Prepare the meringue: beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then quickly
    fold in the powdered sugar, being careful not to overbeat the mixture.
    
  • 16
    Spread the sweetened beaten egg whites over the tart using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or with a spatula.
    
  • 17
    Place the pan in the oven and bake the meringue for 3 to 5 minutes.
    
    Keep a close eye on the meringue—it must not burn! The goal is not to bake the meringue, which should remain soft and creamy inside, but just to brown it slightly.
    
  • 18
    Let the tart cool, then serve it chilled.