Pudding: Baked zesty lime meringue pies (Mark Smith)

Published: Tuesday, 2 October 2007, 2:07PM

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY:
• 225g plain flour
• 100g un salted butter
• 100g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Tbsp of butter to grease the flan cases
• Rice (for blind baking)

FILLING:
• Approx. 100ml water
• 50g caster sugar
• 3 limes zested and juiced.
• 30g corn flour
•
• 2 egg yolks
• 25g butter

MERINGUE:
• 3 egg whites
• 180g caster sugar

• Spare icing sugar for decoration

METHOD

1. To make the pastry, pulse together the sieved flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until you have a bread crumb consistency.
2. Beat an egg and mix into the pastry with the vanilla extract.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the pastry and roll into a ball, flatten and cover in cling film and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
4. Again on a lightly floured surface, remove the pastry from fridge, roll out to approximately 3mm thick.
5. Butter the individual tart tins/flan cases and line with pastry.
6. Line with greaseproof paper, place the rice or baking beans on top and bake blind for 15 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius. Remove from the oven, take out the rice and greaseproof paper and allow to cool.
7. For the filling, bring the water, caster sugar and lime zest to a simmer in a pan.
8. In a small bowl, mix the corn flour with a little of the mixture.
9. Pour this back into the pan, simmer and whisk to thicken.
10. Separate the eggs and whisk two egg yolks.
11. Remove the lime mixture from the heat and add the egg, butter and lime juice. Pour into a jug and chill.
12. Pour the lime filling into the pastry case until just below the top of the pastry.
13. In another bowl whisk 3 egg whites then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks.
14. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over the pies place the meringue in a piping bag.
15. Pipe the meringue onto the lime pies and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 120o degrees Celsius.
16. Take the Lime meringue pies out of the oven and allow to cool then refrigerate until ready to serve.
17. Serve the pies with a generous dusting of icing sugar
























METHOD

1. To make the pastry, pulse together the sieved flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until you have a bread crumb consistency.
2. Beat an egg and mix into the pastry with the vanilla extract.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the pastry and roll into a ball, flatten and cover in cling film and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
4. Again on a lightly floured surface, remove the pastry from fridge, roll out to approximately 3mm thick.
5. Butter the individual tart tins/flan cases and line with pastry.
6. Line with greaseproof paper, place the rice or baking beans on top and bake blind for 15 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius. Remove from the oven, take out the rice and greaseproof paper and allow to cool.
7. For the filling, bring the water, caster sugar and lime zest to a simmer in a pan.
8. In a small bowl, mix the corn flour with a little of the mixture.
9. Pour this back into the pan, simmer and whisk to thicken.
10. Separate the eggs and whisk two egg yolks.
11. Remove the lime mixture from the heat and add the egg, butter and lime juice. Pour into a jug and chill.
12. Pour the lime filling into the pastry case until just below the top of the pastry.
13. In another bowl whisk 3 egg whites then add the caster sugar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks.
14. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe over the pies place the meringue in a piping bag.
15. Pipe the meringue onto the lime pies and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 120o degrees Celsius.
16. Take the Lime meringue pies out of the oven and allow to cool then refrigerate until ready to serve.
17. Serve the pies with a generous dusting of icing sugar