PASTRIES & VARIATIONS: This is a twist on the lemon myringue pie that is a popular dessert. Hope you'll give it a try.

LEMON CUSTARD PIE:

 

 

 

 

1 quantity of prepared short crust pastry, see basic recipe

filling:

    ¾ cup milk                                                  

    juice of 1 lemon                                         

    1 tsp. grated lemon rind

    ¾ cup sugar                                                

    ½ cup corn starch + 1 cup water

    2 egg yolks                                                 

    ½ tsp. lemon extract

    1 oz butter

topping:

    3 egg whites                                                

    ½ cup superfine sugar

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out pastry to roughly ¼-inch thickness to fit a 9-inch pie plate; then prick pastry all over with a fork. Bake “blind”, lined by a piece of wax paper filled with baking beans or rice, for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 375 degrees, remove wax paper and beans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool completely.

 

To make filling:  Heat milk and sugar together in saucepan until boiling. Mix cornstarch with water and add cornstarch solution into boiling milk. Stir constantly and cook over low-medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and rind and butter. Beat egg yolks until smooth and add into milk mixture, stirring well to mix in.  Pour the whole thing into the cooled pie crust.

 

Beat egg white until foamy, add sugar gradually, beating after each addition and continue beating until stiff.  Fill a pastry bag, with a ½-inch star nozzle attached, with the beaten egg whites; then pipe decorative designs to cover the top of the pie.

 

Return pie to preheated 475 degrees oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.