Pie – Feasting Is Fun

Lemon Lime Meringue Pie

It is no secret that I love both sweet and savoury recipes that include lemon or lime. My Lemon Ripple Ice Cream is a favourite not just with me, it is also one of the most popular recipes on this blog. Lime too, with its softer and more floral flavour is also a winner, showcased here in my Lime Ripple Luxury Ice Cream. This Lemon Lime Meringue Pie combines both fruits in the curd, creating an utterly sublime dessert dish.

Pyrex, quality kitchenware

I was sent a Pyrex deep 26cm glass fluted flan dish and a Pyrex 3L classic glass bowl by Maha Home and I must say that both products were well packaged. When ordering online this really is of key importance to me. As soon as they were unwrapped I was keen to make a dessert that would show off both products. Pyrex have a recipe for Lemon and Lime Meringue Pie on their website and I used this as the basis for my dish. Since I naturally tweak anything I make, the recipe given is my interpretation of the original.

Since I have been on the hunt for a deep flan dish I was particularly excited to try this out. As I have mentioned in previous posts, any new kitchen equipment has to earn it’s cupboard space in my home. Because, let’s face it, very few people have massive kitchens with tons of space! What Maha Home did not know, is that I already have and regularly use the 3L Pyrex glass bowl. I most certainly have room for 2 of these deep, hard wearing bowls in my kitchen.

Creating The Layers In A Lemon Lime Meringue Pie

Creating the Lemon Lime Meringue Pie involves four separate stages. First of all making and baking the pie crust shell. Zesting, juicing and cooking the lemon and lime curd. Whisking up egg whites with sugar to create the light, airy, meringue topping and finally assembling and baking the pie. While there are four stages, making this pie does not feel like a chore. Since each step is relatively quick and the pie crust and curd can be made the day before, breaking the process down even further.

I made this pie on an extremely hot and humid day. In doing so I learned a thing or two. Most importantly is to make the meringue topping at the very last minute, literally just before it needs to be spooned on to the pie. Making it any earlier can cause it to lose volume. Also, once baked and cooled the pie must be refrigerated. Doing so allows the curd to set and makes for easier slicing. Finally, once chilled this pie is easy to transport, making it an ideal dessert to take to friends and family.

Recipe: Lemon Lime Meringue Pie serves 8-10

For the pie crust:

450g/1lb Shortcrust Pastry – I used my Perfect Butter Shortcrust Pastry recipe. If buying ready made ensure it is all butter

1 tsp Vegetable Oil for greasing the flan dish – I used Rapeseed oil

For the filling:

3 Fresh Lemons – finely zested and juiced

2 Fresh Limes – finely zested and juiced

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

300ml/ 1/2 pint Water

6 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch) I use Doves Farm

4 Large Free Range Egg Yolks

For the topping:

4 Large Free Range Egg Whites I use Burford Brown Eggs from Clarence Court

150g/5oz Caster Sugar

3 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)

Method: Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan, 425F, gas mark 7

Making the shortcrust pie case

First of all make the pastry and place in the fridge to chill for one hour.
Pour one teaspoon of oil into the Pyrex flan dish. Using a clean sheet of kitchen paper ensure the inside of the dish is lightly coated in oil, taking special care around the inner rim.
Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured worktop.
Knead the dough lightly so that it becomes pliable, taking care not to overwork it as this will result in a tough pastry crust.
Roll out the pastry so that it is slightly bigger than the flan dish – see photo below.
Wrap the pastry over the rolling pin and place over the flan dish.

Press the pastry into the flan dish taking care not to stretch it, as this will cause the pastry to shrink on baking. Also if the pastry tears, patch using a little of the leftover pastry with a tiny amount of water.
Trim the pastry and dock the bottom with a fork. Add baking parchment and baking beans.
Place on to a baking tray and into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the pie crust, immediately reduce the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan, 400F, gas mark 6.
Lift out the baking beans, taking care as they are hot.
If any cracks have appeared in the pastry patch, as before, using leftover pastry.
Return the pie crust to the cooler over and bake for a further 7 minutes.
As soon as the pie crust is baked remove from the oven.

While the pie crust is baking make the curd.

Making the lemon lime curd filling

Into a large, heavy bottomed saucepan add the lemon and lime zest and juice. Also add the water, sugar and cornflour. Gently mix with a whisk until there are no lumps.
Cook the liquid over a medium heat, stirring continuously.
As soon as the liquid has thickened and has turned from cloudy to clear turn off the heat.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then whisking continuously add the egg yolks one at a time.

Pour the curd through a sieve into a wide jug. Press the liquid through using a clean spoon.
Place cling film directly on to the top of the curd, this will stop a skin from forming.

Just before you are about to assemble the pie make the meringue topping.

Whipping up the meringue topping

Into a large, scrupulously clean bowl add four large egg whites.
Whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
Continue whisking adding a tablespoon of sugar at a time, until half of the sugar is incorporated.
Add the remaining sugar and one teaspoon of cornflour.
Using a large metal spoon fold the dry ingredients into the meringue, taking care not to deflate the air whisked into the meringue.

To assemble the pie ensure the oven is preheated to 200C/180C fan, 400F, gas mark 6.

Assembling and baking the pie

Remove the cling film from the curd and stir.
Pour the lemon and lime curd into the pie shell.
Spoon over the meringue so that the top of the pie is covered. Ensure the meringue touches the crust around the rim of the pie.
Place the pie on to a baking tray and put in the centre of the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes. If after 10-15 minutes the top is browning too quickly reduce the heat by 20C.
After the baking time has elapsed turn the oven off and leave the pie to cool in the oven for 30 minutes. This helps set the meringue and stop it from cracking.

After the oven cooling time has elapsed remove the pie from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate the cooled pie for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight before serving.

Serve slices of chilled Lemon Lime Meringue Pie as a refreshing dessert, or an afternoon treat.

Both pie crust and curd can be made a day ahead. Cool both, wrap the cold pie crust in foil and place somewhere cool and dry. Cling film the top of the jug and refrigerate the curd.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Lemon Lime Meringue Pie you may also like these:

Raspberry Topped Lemon Curd Pavlova

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Raspberry Lemon Celebration Layer Cake

Lemon Curd Sponge Tart

Good quality kitchenware is essential to me in my cooking and baking. While Pyrex is a well known brand, made from toughened glass, baking with this flan dish has reminded me why it is such a vital kitchen staple. Even the jug (which is my own), used to capture the sieved curd is used daily in our house. For everything from microwaving milk for hot chocolate, to making jelly for a trifle. I will definitely be using both the bowl and flan dish frequently in my kitchen. Anyone for quiche?

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

Maha Home gifted me both the Pyrex deep flan dish and 3L large bowl for the purpose of reviewing. All opinions and views are my own. I have not been paid to write this post, neither do I receive any payment following sales of product as a result of this post.

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Amazing Apple Pie

Today it is Sunday, traditionally the day of rest. Since not everyone gets to stay at home, I have a treat for you. Either to make for your family and loved ones when then come in from work, any day of the week, or just because it is so delicious. A dessert that will make you want to go for a brisk walk afterwards, or snuggle up on the sofa and have a nap. Here is my Amazing Apple Pie.

A Time To Rest

Rest and relaxation is so important. More so nowadays in our 24/7 world. While life, with work/children/DIY/etc. can sometimes feel as though we are chasing our tails. It is important to take time to stop and rest. Turn off our electrical devices, mentally switch off from all the tasks still to be ‘done’ and simply be. Whether that be playing a board game, reading a book or going for a walk. Rest is good for our mind, body and soul.

I will let you into a secret, once you’ve finished your list of things that MUST be done, guess what? More ‘jobs’ will miraculously appear! So if we take a few hours, or even a whole day to chill out, rest, or spend time doing something, that in itself is relaxing, we will feel soo much better. And be ready to face the world and all the demands that are placed on us.

We were created to work and be fruitful (no pun intended on the Amazing Apple Pie) but also to rest.

Not Forgetting The Workers

Obviously I’m aware many, many people cannot rest on a Sunday. Our Doctors and Nurses, who do such a fantastic job of treating and looking after sick people, don’t just down tools and stop because it’s Sunday. There are millions of people who, without their commitment to providing our security, ensuring our power supplies continue, indeed run our government and many, many more dedicated professions who work around the clock. Far too many to mention here – who ensure the smooth running & care of the population of our Great United Kingdom. To them I give my heartfelt thanks. Just think, Vicars don’t get Sunday off.

Baking And Gardening – My Ways To Relax

Rest doesn’t have to mean just plopping down in front of the telly, although if that’s how you chill out, go for it! Personally I love gardening, gentle gardening, pottering. Planting a few bulbs, deadheading, a little light pruning, nothing that causes me to beak out in a sweat and lands me on the sofa for 3 days, simply because I’ve overdone it. That is not rest, I’ve learned the hard way!

Baking is right up there with gardening as a form of relaxation for me. Gentle pastry making, not frenetic mid-week meal cooking, followed by mums taxi running one child to piano, my lil man to scouts, not to mention the impossible task of getting a filthy rugby kit washed, dried, ironed and ready by the next day. I don’t even own a tumble drier!

So to my recipe for scrumptious Amazing Apple Pie: am I stressed Noooo. I find the whole process relaxing – if you find that strange – that’s ok. You do what you must to relax, I bake or garden!

You will need a 9-10″ glass pie dish ( the glass really does make a difference – the bottom of the pie doesn’t go soggy – don’t know why – but glass seems to conduct the heat better, resulting in a pie that is baked evenly on the bottom as well as the top! Anyhow it works!!!

Recipe: Amazing Apple Pie serves 6

For the pastry:

350g/12 oz Plain White Flour

1/4 tsp Sea Salt – I use Maldon

75g/3oz Unsalted Butter – cold & cubed

75g/3oz Vegetable Shortening – cold & cubed (or broken into similar sized chunks as the butter) I use Trex

1 Free Range Egg, whisked with 1 tbs of water – for egg wash

1tbsp Demerera Sugar – I use Billingtons

For the filling:

600g/1lb 4oz weight of peeled Apples – Tart varieties (such as Granny Smiths, or cooking apples such as Bramleys) are best, but windfalls of any variety can be used

2 tbs Corn flour also called corn starch

1 Large Lemon – juiced

2 tbs Vanilla sugar or caster sugar & 1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Method: Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan, 400F, gas mark 6

Making The Pastry

Place all the ingredients into a bowl (of stand mixer if using, with paddle attachment), using a pastry cutter, or your fingers, quickly rub/cut/blend the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles lumpy breadcrumbs – pea sized pieces of fat should still be visible.

Add enough cold water – 1 tbs at a time until the pastry JUST comes together, stirring with a butter or palette knife. Just as the mixture starts to clump go in with your hands and gently and quickly bring the clumps together into a ball.

Place the pastry onto some cling film, pat out to form a disc & then cut the disc in half, reshape each half back into a disc. Wrap each half in cling and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins to allow the pastry to relax.

NOTE : Whilst the pastry is resting you can prepare the filling – see below.

As soon as the pastry has rested remove it from the fridge and place 1 disc on a clean floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin start rolling, using even outward motion and turning the disc, adding small amounts of flour so that the pastry doesn’t stick.

When the circle looks wide enough to fill the pie dish, will a small amount of over lap, place the pastry into the UNGREASED pie dish, so that the excess pastry drapes slightly over the edges of the pie dish.

Please don’t worry, if you have followed the recipe and are using a glass pie dish IT DOES NOT need greasing. There is enough fat in the pastry for it not to stick. If you have used a different type of pie dish I would play it safe and butter it first.

Preparing The Apple Pie Filling

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Slice the quarters into 3.

Place the prepared apples into a bowl and pour over the lemon juice, cornflour, sugar and spices. Using clean hands toss the apples so that each piece is covered in the lemony, gooey mixture.

Place the apple mixture onto the pastry base.

Using a pastry brush lightly brush the outside edge of the pastry with egg wash.

Remove the 2nd pastry disc and roll out as before, ensuring when placed on top, the circle of pastry slightly overlaps the top of the pie.

Using a sharp knife carefully trim the excess pastry. Either use a fork or your forefinger and thumb and press the lid of the pastry to seal it around the rim to the bottom layer.

Make a few snips in the top of the pastry, to allow any steam to escape.

Creating A Decorative Pie Lid

If you want to be creative, make leaves, berries, whatever you want to decorate the top of the pie, making sure you don’t cover the slits in the pastry up. I just happen to have a mini apple shaped cutter that I couldn’t resist using on this pie.

Baking The Amazing Apple Pie

Brush the top of the Amazing Apple Pie with egg wash and then sprinkle the Demerera Sugar over the top of the pie. This adds an extra crunch and very mild toffee flavour. Put the pie dish onto a baking sheet and place in a preheated oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. The pie is cooked when it is a gorgeous golden colour, on top and underneath.

Remove from the oven and let the pie rest for 15 minutes, this will make it easier to slice.

Serve this Amazing Apple Pie with Luxury Homemade Vanilla Bean Custard, cream, vanilla ice cream (or all of them!) and a big smile. Wait and in that moment of the first mouthful being eaten, you will become the most popular, loved person in the room.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Amazing Apple Pie you may also like these:

Autumn Apple Almond Cake

Autumn almond apple cake a gluten free bake using fresh free apples from the garden. — Autumn Apple Almond Cake – gluten free.

Iced Bakewell Tart

Blackberry Nectarine Tart

This pie cries out to be shared with family, friends and loved ones alike. Also why not pop across the road to the gentleman who recently lost his wife and share a slice of pie with him?

Sometimes, when we are stumped by what to say, our actions can convey more than words ever could.

Until next time, challenge yourself to share with someone who is outside of your comfort zone. You may just make somebody else smile?

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.