Lemon meringue pie

I learned to make lemon pie from my mom. This delicious dessert is among the favorites of many people, and remains "timeless" in all times. 

As far as my recipe is concerned, I present it to you as follows:  

Recipe :

Ingredients: for 12 lemon tartlets

Shortbread :

·        250g of flour ;

·        125g of butter (or margarine) at room temperature;

·        70g of sugar (or less);

·        2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue);

·        1 pinch of salt ;

·        5 cl of ice water.

Cream:

·        4 lemons;

·        150g of sugar;

·        3 eggs ;

·        1 tablespoon of cornstarch;

·        1 tablespoon softened butter or melted cheese.

Meringue :

·        2 egg whites;

·        100g of sugar (or icing sugar);

·        1 pinch of salt ;

·        ½ teaspoon of baking powder.

Preparation:

·     In a salad bowl, put the flour, sugar and salt: mix and dig a well;

·     Add the softened butter then the egg yolks: mix with your fingertips – without kneading –;

·     Gradually add the water, still mixing with your fingertips, until you obtain a paste, which you wrap in cling film: put in the refrigerator (for a minimum of 30 minutes);

·     In a saucepan, put the zest of two lemons, then the juice of four, the eggs, the sugar and the cornstarch: whisk everything, then put on medium heat, still whisking, to have a "nice" thick cream;

·     Turn off the heat and add the butter or cheese: mix then cover.

·     Take the dough out of the refrigerator: roll it out between 2 “sheets” of plastic, or on a floured work surface, to a thickness of 2 mm;

·     Using cutters, cut out   circles that you push into molds (you can do it in one, 25 cm in diameter): with a fork, prick the dough well;

·     Leave the mold(s) cool; in the meantime turn on the oven at 180°;

·     Bake your pie shells “blind” for – approximately – 20 minutes: from time to time open the oven, and if you see that a base has “swollen” poke it out with a fork;

·     Take out of the oven and leave to cool then unmold: put these “bottoms” back on the tray;

·     Fill with lemon cream;

·     On the cream and using a pastry bag, put the meringue ^* in chosen shapes;

·     Turn on the “grill” of your oven; return the tray so that the meringue is golden brown.

Serve the lemon pie cold with soda or tea … And enjoy your meal.

*: Meringue: in a salad bowl, whisk the egg whites while gradually adding the mixture of {sugar + salt + yeast}.

 Madame MAMCHAOUI Djazila marries HAMIMED