Cheaty lemon meringue pie

Lemon meringue pie is a show-stopper of a dessert, but it can be complicated to make. No more! This easy recipe has enough shortcuts included that you'll be tempted to turn this into an anytime dessert.

Ingredients

  • 12 milk arrowroot biscuits

    Approx

  • 80g butter

    melted

  • 1 tin sweetened condensed milk

  • 3 egg yolks

  • ½ cup lemon juice

  • 1 lemon zest

  • 3 egg whites

  • ½ cup caster sugar

Equipment

  • 1 ziplock bag
  • 1 pie tin
  • 1 bowl
  • 1 electric beater
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 oven

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180C (150C if fan forced.)
  2. Put milk arrowroots into a ziplock bag. Bash until biscuits resemble breadcrumbs.
  3. Melt your butter and combine with biscuit crumbs. Press into greased pie tin and store in the fridge.
  4. In a bowl, combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest. Ensure well combined and then pour over the biscuit base, ensure it’s evenly coating the base.
  5. Put in the oven for 10-15 mins, there should be a skin on the mixture when you take it out.
  6. Meanwhile, whilst the pie is baking, whisk egg whites with an electric beater on highest setting until it forms soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat until you have achieved firm peaks.
  7. Give the beaters to children or lick yourself.
  8. When the pie is cooked, remove from the oven, but don’t turn the oven off.
  9. Pour the meringue mixture on and then spread to the sides with a spatula, make peaks with the spatula.
  10. Put back into the oven for a further 10-12 minutes (keep watch on it) until the meringue turns a light golden brown on top.

Notes

Tip
Apparently the pie turns out better if you leave the base in the fridge overnight to chill but I just chilled it whilst I made the filling and it tasted pretty good to me!
Tip
I think licking the beaters is an essential part of making meringues – 'raw' meringue mixture is simply divine and it’s a crime to waste any of it.
Variation
You could use margarine instead of butter if you are watching your calories.
Variation
I used skim condensed milk and the lemon meringue pie tasted fab.

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