Sweet and zingy!
This is one of my favourite summertime puds. It’s such a classic and always a crowd pleaser!
The gluten-free shortcrust pastry is so good you won’t be able to tell the difference. It’s really easy to handle and roll out – no more flimsy pastry that breaks all the time! It can be rolled nice and thin too.
The lemon curd is adapted from one of my go-to recipes by Rachel Allen. I get good results every time! Making it yourself might feel like a bit of a faff but once you’ve had homemade, you’ll be making it yourself every time!
Topping this gorgeous dessert is italian meringue. It’s the soft and fluffy kind that involves whisking the egg whites with hot sugar syrup. Again, it’s a bit of effort but it’s SO worth it! Though I will admit, having a stand mixer will make it a lot easier!
This recipe takes roughly 4-5 hours in total to make (including baking, chilling and setting times) however it is possible to make the pastry and lemon curd in advance (see method for more details).
Ingredients:
For the gluten-free pastry:
- 140 g gluten-free plain or white bread flour (I used a blend that included rice flour, maize flour, potato starch and tapioca starch)
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 110 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 egg (cold)
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp ice-cold water
For the lemon curd:
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
For the Italian meringue topping:
- 3 large egg whites
- 225 g caster sugar
- 75 ml water
Useful Equipment: mixing bowl, measuring jug, rolling pin, 8″ tart tin, baking beans (or rice), wire cooling rack, cling film, small saucepan, heatproof bowl, whisk, sugar thermometer, hand/stand mixer, piping bag and nozzle, blowtorch (optional!)
Method:
To make the pastry case:
The pastry can be made the night before and chilled overnight or can be baked 1 day in advance. Pastry can also be made (steps 1-4) and frozen for up to 1 month – defrost thoroughly and start at step 5.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix together.
- Add the cubes of butter and rub into the dry mix with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- In a jug, beat together the egg, vinegar and water and pour it into the dry mix. Work the mixture together, adding more water if needed, until a soft dough forms.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
- Roll out the dough into a circle until it is about 5mm thick and roughly 10″ wide.
- Place into a greased tart tin and press into the pan, moulding up the sides of the tin. Trim any excess off the top and refrigerate again for at least 20 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C/350 °F; cover the tart case with baking paper and fill with baking beans (or dried rice) and bake in the oven for 10 mins. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 mins. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
To make the lemon curd:
The curd can be made up to 1 month in advance as long as it is stored in a sealed sterilised container. See my tips here on how to do this. Otherwise it can be stored fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter with the sugar and lemon juice.
- In a heatproof bowl, beat the egg and egg yolks together.
- Once melted, temper the eggs by pouring a small amount of the melted butter mixture slowly into the bowl whilst whisking.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir carefully until the mixture is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a sterilised jar if storing or into a bowl if using straight away. It will thicken when it is cooled completely.
For the Italian meringue:
This is best done on the day the pie will be served.
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan on a medium heat until boiling. Keep heating until 117 °C is reached. This is the hard ball stage – if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small tsp into a bowl of cold water. If the sugar forms a firm ball that is difficult to mould with your fingers, it is ready. If not, keep heating until this stage is reached.
- Meanwhile, place your egg whites into a metal or glass bowl or stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Once the syrup is at temperature, pour slowly into the egg whites whilst whisking, ensuring a steady stream of sugar (and careful not to touch the mixer). Keep whisking until the mixture has cooled back to room temperature.
- Place the meringue into a piping bag with your favourite nozzle attached (I used a 9FT tip).
Assembling the pie:
- Spoon the lemon curd evenly into the pie case. Pipe the meringue on top (or just dollop it on with a spoon for a more rustic look!). Get your blowtorch out and lightly toast the top of the meringue (or briefly heat under a grill).
- Enjoy!!
This pie will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.
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