Silky-smooth lemon meringue pie 11. August 2022

First, make the shortcrust pastry. Add flour, almond flour, icing sugar, salt and butter to a blender, and blend it quickly. Add the egg, and blend until the dough is just settled. Put the dough in a freezer bag and press it flat. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Turn on the oven to 170 degrees.

Roll the dough to a thickness of 5 mm. Use the pie tins to cut the bottoms of the pie so they are perfectly fitted to the tins. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cut a pie dough ribbon and carefully roll it inside the pie tins. Trim the edges with a small knife or palette knife. Prick the bottoms with a fork, and bake them for approx. 15 minutes until they are golden and crispy. Let the pie bottoms cool off completely before filling them with lemon curd.

Now, make the merengue for the pies. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until it is firm and add the sugar little by little while you whisk. Whisk the merengue firm and smooth. Add it to a piping bag with an icing nozzle of your choice.

The pie crusts are to be filled with lemon curd. You can use a quality ready-made one, or you can make one yourself like this: Mix eggs, sugar, lemon juice and fine lemon zest in a pot. Heat at medium heat while constantly stirring with a whisk. Keep stirring until the liquid is thick, and then remove it from the heat. Add the butter while stirring, and mix thoroughly. Pour the curd in scalded glasses, and put them in the fridge until it stiffens. This will take approx. 2 hours. Lemon curd can be stored in the fridge for approx. 8-10 days.

Now, gather the pies. Add lemon curd to a piping bag with a round nozzle. Spread the lemon curd in the four pie crusts. Smooth it neatly with a palette knife. Pipe merengue on top of each pie in a pattern where the lemon curd underneath will still be visible. Decorate the pies with edible flowers and little mint twigs.