Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 165 g flour
• 25 g almonds, ground
• 120 g butter, cold
• 55 g sugar
• 1 egg(s), size M
• 1 egg(s) whisked with a little milk
• 2 large lemons, organic
• 4 large lemons
• 230 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 80 g cornstarch
• 12 egg yolks, size M
• 230 g butter, soft
• 6 egg whites, size M
• 280 g sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• some powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 23 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 8 minutes

Lemon meringue cake, for a 26 cm tart or springform pan, makes approx. 12 pieces

For the shortcrust pastry base, mix the flour and ground almonds. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until a crumbly dough forms. Mix in the sugar. Add the egg and knead with your fingers until the dough is soft. Form a ball and flatten it. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3 mm. Line a 26 cm tart or springform pan and raise the edges to a height of about 2-3 cm. Prick the base several times with a fork. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Blind bake the base in a preheated oven at 180 °C (top and bottom heat) for 15 minutes. To blind bake, place a sheet of baking paper on the dough and fill it with dried peas, beans, chickpeas, or similar. After about 10 minutes, remove the blind baking material and brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the base is dry and the edges are light golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C. For the filling, peel or grate the zest from the organic lemons using a zester or grater. Mix the lemon zest with sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Squeeze the juice from all the lemons, regular and organic. One large lemon contains about 50-60 ml of juice. Add the lemon juice to the mixture in the saucepan and whisk. Heat gently, stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolks. Heat slowly again, stirring until the mixture becomes thick again. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it has completely dissolved. Spread the filling on the shortcrust pastry base. For the meringue topping, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time while continuing to beat. After adding all the sugar, continue beating for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and lemon juice. Spread the meringue over the filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 140°C (top/bottom heat) for one hour, until the meringue is crisp and has turned a light golden color. Allow to cool completely before serving and sprinkle with powdered sugar.