Meringue lemon pie

Discover the history of meringue lemon pie.

1. Sablé dough

   • 230 g all purpose flour
   • 150 g butter
   • 90 g powdered sugar
   • 50 g ground almond
   • 50 g egg (1)
   • 2 g salt

   • In the bowl of a mixer, place the flour, ground almond, salt, powdered sugar, and cold butter cut into small cubes.
   • Mix at medium-low speed just until all the ingredients are combined and no butter pieces remain. The texture should be crumbly, similar to crushed biscuits.
   • Then, add the egg and mix just until it is incorporated.
   • On a sheet of baking paper, place the dough and cover it with another sheet of paper.
   • Next, using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the two sheets until it reaches a thickness of about 3 mm.
   • Then, place the dough in the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden, making it easier to work with.
   • Take the dough out of the freezer, remove the baking paper, and cut a circle of about 33 cm. Grease a 28 cm diameter tin with butter and carefully place the dough inside, pressing it gently and trimming the excess.
   • Finally, place a sheet of baking paper inside the tart and fill it with baking weights (beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.) to prevent the dough from puffing up during baking.
   • Bake for 20 minutes with the weights, then another 15 minutes without the weights at 180º C.
   • Let it cool at room temperature and set it aside.

2. Praline crunch

   • 150 g raw hazelnuts
   • 50 g vanilla or white sugar
   • 50 g chopped toasted hazelnuts

   • Spread the raw hazelnuts evenly on a baking tray and roast at 150º C for 15 minutes.
   • Once toasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.
   • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it turns into a deep amber caramel.
   • Next, turn off the heat and pour the caramel onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and let it crystallise completely.
   • When both preparations have cooled, break the caramel into pieces and place it in a food processor along with the hazelnuts.
   • Process for a few minutes until you get a thick, smooth paste. Process until the mixture becomes liquid, smooth, and shiny.
   • Add the chopped toasted hazelnuts and set aside at room temperature until needed.

3. Lemon cream

   • 270 g fresh lemon juice
   • 250 g vanilla or white sugar
   • 200 g eggs (4)
   • 150 g butter
   • 5 g gelatine

   • First, place the gelatine in a glass of cold water to hydrate for at least 10 minutes.
   • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
   • Next, add the lemon juice, sugar, and eggs, and without stopping whisking, cook until the mixture thickens, reaching about 84º C.
   • Remove from heat, add the gelatine, and blend the mixture with a hand whisk.
   • Let it cool to room temperature and set it aside.

4. Mojito gel

   • 120 g fresh lime juice (4)
   • 80 g filtered water
   • 80 g brown or cane sugar
   • 60 g fresh lemon juice (1)
   • 30 g rum
   • 6 g agar-agar

   • In a saucepan, mix the strained lemon and lime juice, water, and heat until boiling.
   • Meanwhile, in a cup, mix the sugar with the agar agar.
   • It is important to mix the agar agar very well with the sugar to prevent lumps when added to the liquid.
   • When the liquid mixture reaches boiling point, add the agar agar with the sugar and mix well with a whisk. Cook for a couple of minutes.
   • Then, turn off the heat, add the rum, and let it cool to room temperature.
   • Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 6 hours until ready to use.

5. Italian meringue

   • 165 g vanilla or white sugar
   • 110 g egg whites (3)
   • 50 g water

   • In a saucepan, mix the water and sugar and heat over medium heat until the mixture reaches 118º C.
   • Meanwhile, in a bowl, begin beating the egg whites at medium speed until frothy.
   • When the syrup reaches the temperature, turn off the heat and add it to the egg whites in a thin stream while continuing to beat.
   • Then, increase the beating speed to high until firm peaks form, about 5 minutes.
   • Set aside and start assembling.

6. Assembly

   • With the cooled sablé pastry, pour the praline crunch inside and spread it with a spatula.
   • Next, carefully pour the lemon cream over the praline and spread it evenly across the surface.
   • Now, refrigerate to allow the lemon cream to set and the tart to firm up, for at least 1 hour.
   • After the time has passed, take the tart out of the fridge, place the Italian meringue in a piping bag with a petal tip, and begin piping petals from the outside of the tart towards the centre, leaving a 6 cm diameter circle in the middle.
   • Then, preheat the oven to 180º C with the grill function on top only and bake for a few seconds until the meringue is browned to your liking.
   • It's important to watch the oven closely while browning the meringue, as it can brown in just a few seconds. Alternatively, you can use a kitchen torch for a similar effect, although it won’t be as evenly toasted.
   • Finally, take the mojito gel out of the fridge, blend it with a hand whisk, place it in a piping bag with a 2 mm tip, and fill the centre of the tart. You can also pipe small dots on the meringue petals.
   • When you take the gel out of the fridge, it will have a firm, block-like consistency. Blending it with a hand whisk will give it a firm gel texture that can be lightened with a little water if necessary.
   • Keep in the fridge until serving and let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

You might be interested ...

Check out these other recipes.

Lemon praline king's cake crown

Apricot honey tart

White peach lime tart