A timeless classic, Lemon Meringue Pie combines crisp buttery pastry, a vibrant citrus filling and a cloud of light, toasted meringue for the perfect balance of sweet and sharp flavours. Packed with classic baking techniques, it’s a rewarding bake that’s always guaranteed to impress. This recipe was baked as part of our Village Bakers Baking Masterclass in July 2026, where members learned the secrets to creating beautifully crisp pastry, silky lemon curd and perfectly piped meringue.
INGREDIENTS
Plain flour, for dusting
1 x 375g pack of sweet pastry
Filling:
4 Lemons – Juice & Zest
43g Cornflour
167g Caster Sugar
4 Egg Yolk
Italian Meringue:
300g Caster Sugar
100ml water
4 Egg Whites
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 180ºC/375ºF/gas 5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin.
Press the pastry into the edges, of the tin – any cracks will spring leaks! (fill with pastry scrapes) Trim the pastry with a knife.
Cover the base of the tart with baked rice or baking beans. Blind bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5, then remove the baking beans and paper and baker for a further 5mins. Leave to cool
Make the lemon filling
Zest and Juice the lemons and mix with cornflour, to form a paste.
In a suace pan, add 450ml water to the pan and bring to a boil, add the lemon cornflour mix and stir continueously until thick and smooth, remove from the heat.
In a bowl seperate the yolks and whites (KEEP THE WHITES MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO YOLK IN WITH THE WHITES). Mix the sugar into the yolks.
Whisk this sugar yolk mixture into the lemon mixture in the pan.
Stir over a medium heat untill thickened, looking like custard. Pour into the tart case and cool in the fridge to set. Note: you will have left over filling – this is fine.
Italian Meringue:
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook until the sugar syrup reaches 120C on a thermometer.
Meanwhiles, put the egg whites into a clean grease free bowl, when the syrup reaches 110C start whisking untill stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Once the syrup reaches 120c, while the mixer is whisking pour it over the egg whites, Slowly add it while whisking. Whisk until the meringue is cool – it should be shiny and stiff.
Spoon onto the curd filling, forming peaks and blow torch.
