I have had a long and hard think about this in recent weeks, and I have to say that I have decided unequivocally that my favorite pie is Lemon Meringue.  This was not an easy decision for me to come to because . . .  well . . .  I love pie.  

IF its in a crust I am all over it . . . sweet, savory and in-between! Lemon is absolutely my favorite however. Classic Lemon Meringue Pie.  No if's ands or in-betweens! 

So what is it about Lemon Meringue Pie that gives it that edge, albeit a tiny one, above all the other pies? What is it about Lemon Meringue Pie that I love so much.

Even more than Chocolate or Butterscotch. Coconut Cream. Banana Cream.  Not even Apple Pie comes close to my love for Lemon Meringue.

 

 That quivering, mouth puckering and yet sweet, almost translucent filling. It is almost like a jelly, but more unctuous and richer . . . like a golden jewel.  

When we were children, my mother used to keep out some of the filling without the crust, and add a big of milk to it for my brother.  It was thought that pastry was hard for small children to digest.  It looked delicious that way but  . . .

Then there is the pastry.  What is a pie without pastry?  I favor my recipe for Butter Lard pastry.  It is crisp and flaky.  

Yes, it does make two crusts, but you can always freeze one disc of pastry for future use.  Wrapped up tightly it will keep for several months.  Simply bring to room temperature when you want to use it and roll out as desired.

Lets talk about meringue.  I was awfully tempted to add an extra egg white to mine the other day so that it would be piled gloriously on top of the pie, but I did not.  

If you have your egg whites at room temperature they will whip up with more volume than if they are cold, so always bring them to room temperature first!

You want to beat your egg whites stiff, but still moist before you start adding the sugar.  Add the sugar slowly, beating them constantly until you have a thick, stiff, glossy billowing mixture. 

You should be able to hold a perfectly whipped bowl of egg whites upside down over your head without fear of it pouring out.  I have never been brave enough to put that to the test. How about you? 

And, oh . . .  I know the temptation is oh so great to want to cut into it almost right away. Do chill it for at least two hours and preferably overnight in the refrigerator if you can resist it that long.  It is really worth the wait. 

Another tip, let it come fully to room temperature before chilling it.  That way the meringue shouldn't shrink back from the edges or weep. 

Those little beads that often form on top of the meringue . . . mom always said that was vitamins. That was her answer to everything bless her.

You will get lovely straight edged, shimmering wedges of pie.  Use a sharp knife and dip it into hot water with each cup and the meringue won't stick to the knife and tear. 

You will get perfect slices. Trust me on this.

 

If you bake only one thing this weekend, one dessert, let it be this. You will not regret it! Now where was my fork?
 

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

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Yield: makes one 9-inch pie

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 30 Mincook time: 15 Mininactive time: 2 Hourtotal time: 2 H & 45 M

A basic Lemon Meringue Pie recipe taken from the old Purity Cookbook. Its been a standard in my home for years.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 1/4 cups (240g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (35g) all purpose/ plain flour
• 3 TBS cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups (709ml) boiling water
• 3 large free range egg yolks, beaten
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 TBS finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (120ml) strained lemon juice

For the meringue:

• 3 large free range egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 6 TBS granulated sugar

You will also need:

• one 9-inch prebaked pie crust (I prefer shortcrust, but you can use graham cracker or whatever you prefer)

Instructions

1. To make the filling, combine the sugar, flour, cornflour and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the boiling water.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until thickened. Cover and cook over low eat for about 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to temper them then blend them back into the hot mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Cook for a further two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter lemon juice and lemon zest.
5. Cool to lukewarm, stirring a few times. Pour into the unbaked pie crust.
6. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.
7. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar using an electric whisk, until the mixture forms stiff but moist peaks. Very gradually add the sugar, beating continuously, until very stiff and shiny.
8. Spread onto the lukewarm pie, touching the crust all the way around. Swirl the meringue in peaks and points on top of the pie.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. (I like to chill it for a couple hours prior to eating it.)
11. Cuts best when ice cold. To cut, dip a sharp knive into hot water and cut into wedges, wetting the knife each time.

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 Both are wonderfully delicious.  Both have moreish qualities. One I would serve thinly sliced and spread with butter, the other I would not.

Because one is definitely more a cake than the other and I am sure you know which one I am talking about!

 This is one of those cakes that improves upon standing.  I left this overnight before I cut into it. I was not feeling very well yesterday and so any cutting and photographing got put off until today.

Turns out that was probably the right thing to do.  The cake had settled into something magnificent upon sitting over night.  I didn't wrap it in anything. I just had it laid on the cooling rack with a clean tea towel thrown over top.

Just look at how beautifully, and how precise it cut.  The knife crunches down through that crisp sugar coating. You can hear it cracking as it moves down into the cake.

And then it glides through the rest of the cake beautfully. This is a cake with a beautiful texture.

Look at that beautiful crisp crunchy topping.  You use castor sugar in the cake base, but you use granulated sugar in the topping.

One reason caster sugar is used in the cake itself is because of its melting properties.  Caster sugar is a finly granulated sugar.

 The reason it is preferred for baking is because it melts beautifully into batters and doughs. Have you ever seen a cake that seems to be speckled on top after baking?  That is because you used granulated sugar and it didn't melt/dissolve properly in the batter.

You can easily make your own caster sugar by whizzing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 to 45 seconds.

Its resistance to melting is what makes regular granulated sugar perfect for the topping. Because it doesn't melt easily it maintains loads of crunch, which makes it ideal for this purpose.  

Its almost like a lemon layer of candy snow on top of the cake.  Speaking of snow, I remember when I was a child living in Northern Manitoba, the winters would be so cold that there would be a "crust" on top of the snow.

You would have to "punch" down into it with your boots. You could actually walk on top of the snow without falling through the crust. 

That is like the lemon drizzle on top of a lemon drizzle cake. Exactly the same effect. And that's what you want. You would not get it with any other kind of sugar.

Another thing to think about when baking this cake is placement in the oven. Mary Berry recommends baking it on a middle shelf.

There is a reason for this. If you bake cakes on the top shelf, they will crack. The crust of the cake forms too soon and then cracks as the cake continues to rise!

Another suggestion is to resist the urge to open the oven door to check on the cakes progress. This can and will probably cause your cake to fall.

I remember learning this in Home Economics. When you open the oven door you cause cooler air to enter the oven and you really do risk your cake sinking in the middle.

You also don't want to be banging the door shut if you do happen to look in at it.  Your cake will surely fall then! 

Two good reasons for making sure your oven temperature is correct and that you have a working light in the oven!  Also do make sure your oven is properly pre-heated before you even put the cake in.

This can, and will make a difference.  Did you know when your oven is heating up the temperature is fiercer?  The heating element is blasting heat into the oven to bring it up to temperature.

This means that it can actually be hotter than you think it is!  For success it is just best to wait until the ideal and recommended temperature has been reached!

 

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Mary Berry's Lemon Drizzle Cake

Yield: Makes one loaf cake

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 40 Mintotal time: 50 Min

Everyone's favourite cake. Its a Mary Berry recipe so you know its fool proof and delicious!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup + 1 TBS (175g) softened butter
• 1 1/4 cups (175g) self raising flour (see notes)
• 3/4 cup (175g) castor sugar (finely granulated sugar
• 3 large free range eggs
• the finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract (my addition)
• 3/4 level tsp of baking powder

For the drizzle topping:

• The juice of one lemon
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 9 X 5 inch loaf tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift it out with.
2. Using an electric mixer beat all of the cake ingredients together in a bowl  until smooth. Spoon into the baking in and smooth the top over.
3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until risen, golden brown and shrinking away a bit from the sides of the tin. The top should spring back when lightly touched.
4. Whisk the lemon juice and sugar for the drizzle topping together and spoon it over top of the warm cake.
5. Leave to cool a little then lift out of the pan using the baking paper and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

notes:

To Make Self Raising Flour: Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl before using, to make sure the baking powder is thoroughly distributed (or you can put both ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together).

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So what is your favourite kind of a cake? I love simple cakes myself and Lemon Drizzle Cake fits the bill perfectly. Especially this one!