Lemon posset meringue pie
RECIPE
After my posset disaster in my Quarter-Final round on MasterChef UK 2023, I want to redeem myself and dedicate this bake to the three wonderful guest judges that day: Nisha Parmar, Tom Rhodes and Irini Tzortzoglou. I love this wonderfully zingy lemon posset on a lovely buttery base topped with a meringue that is crisp on the outside and marshmallowy underneath…a definite winner!
If you would like to see how I made this pie, please click the link below for a video:
https://www.youtube.com/@thuycooks
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
For the pastry:
170g butter, softened
70g caster sugar
Zest of a lemon
2 medium egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
240g plain flour, sieved
For the lemon posset:
600ml double cream
175g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Zest of 3 lemons
160ml fresh lemon juice (about 4 medium lemons)
For the meringue:
4 medium egg whites
1tsp fresh lemon juice
200g caster sugar
METHOD
To make the pastry either by hand or using a stand mixer, cream the butter, caster sugar, and grated zest of a lemon into a smooth paste.
Whisk the egg yolks and cold water together, and pour slowly into the mixture until combined.
Gradually spoon in the sieved plain flour and combine until just forming a ball. Don’t overwork the dough!
Wrap the dough in cling film and rest for an hour in the fridge.
Pre-heat an oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Roll the chilled pastry to a 3mm thickness between two baking sheets dusted with plain flour.
Line a 23 cm/9in loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry and trim any excess from the top using a rolling pin. Prick the base with a fork.
Crumple up a baking sheet then place this on the tart base, and fill with baking beans.
Bake for 15 minutes in the oven then remove the beans and baking paper. Place back in the oven for a further 8-10 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on a rack while you make the filling.
For the posset, add double cream, sugar, salt and lemon zest to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Turn the heat down and simmer for 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.
Sieve the mixture into a jug then pour into the pastry case until just below the rim.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
For the meringue, add egg whites to a clean mixing bowl with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Whisk at a medium speed.
When the egg whites become foamy, increase the speed to high. Then gradually add caster sugar a tablespoon at a time. The meringue should be stiff and glossy.
Place mixture into a piping bag with a plain round nozzle. Pipe meringue kisses onto the lemon posset filling. Or, just spread the meringue over the filling and finish with some swirls.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the meringue is crisp and lightly coloured (but still marshmallowy in the centre).
Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight.
TIP
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than juice from a bottle.
Thuy Hoang
MasterChef UK Quarter Finalist 2023
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