Little Lemon Meringue Pies Recipes

LITTLE LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and continue to beat until evenly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg yolk. Add half of the flour, beating until just crumbly. Scrape down the bowl again; add the remaining flour and the sour cream, beating just until the dough is evenly moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly to bring it together.
• Roll the dough between 2 generously floured sheets of waxed or parchment paper into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Cut out six 4 1/2-inch rounds using an inverted bowl or round cookie cutter. Place a round in each cup of a nonstick standard 6-cup muffin tin and use a small shot glass or your fingers to press each round into the corners and about halfway up the sides for a snug fit. Freeze the dough in the muffin tin for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spray the outside of 6 standard muffin liners with cooking spray and place 1 on top of each dough cup. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the crusts are just brown around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 1 minute; then carefully remove the muffin liners and baking beans. Return the muffin tin to the oven and continue baking until the crusts are cooked through and evenly browned, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool slightly, then carefully remove the crusts from the muffin tin and cool completely on a rack.
• Combine the sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks in a nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Add the lime juice and lemon zest and juice and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is as thick as sour cream and is just about to simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. (Take care to stir into the sides of the saucepan so that all the curd thickens evenly.)
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Whisk in the butter a little at a time, until smooth. Stir occasionally until cool. (Setting the bowl in a larger bowl of ice will speed this up.). Fill each tartlet with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cool lemon filling.
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk together the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and heat, whisking, until the mixture is hot to the touch (135 degrees F) and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the whites at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat to make a stiff, cool meringue, about 10 minutes. Dollop or pipe on top of the filling.
• Just before serving, brown the merinque with a kitchen blow torch. (Alternatively, preheat the broiler to high. Set the pies on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the meringue is evenly toasted, about 2 minutes.) Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For Busy Bakers:
• They can be refrigerated for up to 2 days These also freeze wonderfully! They can be assembled and frozen up to 1 week in advance. Defrost for 20 minutes before broiling the tops and serving.
• To make ahead in stages:
• - The crusts can be made, baked and frozen up to 2 weeks.
• - The curd can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
• - The meringue can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

GRANDMA'S LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
• To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

LITTLE LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roll out pastry and use to line 8 x 10cm fluted loose-bottomed tart cases, leaving a little pastry overhanging. Prick the cases with a fork and bake blind for 20 mins (removing the paper and beans after 15 mins) until pale golden brown. Set aside to cool. When cool, use a serrated knife to neatly level the pastry.
• Meanwhile, put the zest, juice, butter and 225g sugar into a large heavy-based pan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pan from the heat. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together, then stir into the pan. Stir over a low heat for 5-10 mins until thickened. Sieve into a bowl, then spoon into the cases. Any leftover curd will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Whisk the egg whites with 50g sugar in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar. 4 Put a good dollop of meringue on top of each tart, then dip a palette knife in hot water and make little peaks on each. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until just browned on top. Allow to cool, then serve.

MINI LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the 3 yolks in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
• Whisk 3/4 cup of sugar with cornstarch and flour in a saucepan until thoroughly mixed; beat in the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to a simmer. Add the egg yolks and butter, and mix with the whisk until the filling is smooth and thickened; remove from heat. Spoon the hot lemon filling into the mini graham cracker crusts.
• Beat the egg whites in a metal or glass bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar and the almond extract with an electric mixer until the meringue is fluffy and holds stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Top each lemon pie with about 1 inch of the meringue and spread into decorative swirls and peaks with a spatula. Cover all the lemon filling with meringue.
• Bake in preheated oven until the meringue is lightly golden brown with darker brown peaks and swirls, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

LEMON MERINGUE MINCE PIES

Steps:

• If making your own pastry, tip the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest and milk, then mix into a dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the pastry comes together, being careful not to over-mix. Form into a disc, cover and chill for at least 10 mins or up to two days. Will keep frozen for three months. Defrost before using. While the pastry chills, mix together the mincemeat and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and lightly butter the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin and use a 10cm round cutter to stamp out 12 circles, re-rolling the offcuts if needed. Use these to line the holes of the tin, pressing them into the base using a small ball of excess pastry. Spoon in the mincemeat, leaving a little gap at the top, and bake for 15 mins until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little, but keep the oven on. The pies will keep covered at room temperature for up to a day.
• For the meringue, tip the egg whites into a clean bowl with the lemon juice and a small pinch of salt. Beat with an electric whisk to soft peaks, then sprinkle over half the sugar and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks again. Add the remaining sugar and whisk until the meringue is glossy and stiff. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, then pipe swirls of meringue on top of each pie. Slide the pies back into the hot oven for 10 mins to brown the meringue. (You could also do this using a kitchen blowtorch, if you have one.) Serve warm. Once completely cool, will keep in an airtight container for up to a day.

LITTLE LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 5-in. circle. Transfer to two 10-oz. custard cups. Press dough 1-1/8 inches up sides of cups. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in cold water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
• Stir half of hot filling into egg yolk; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice and butter.
• Pour into pastry shells. In a small bowl, beat egg white and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.