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A close up of slice of homemade lemon meringue pie is suspended in the air as it is lifted of a grey ceramic cake plate.
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Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie - Pae Rēmana me te Merenge

A luscious Lemon Meringue pie made from a sweet lemon pastry, a smooth and creamy lemon custard, topped with torched Italian meringue.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Pie
Keyword best christmas dessert recipes, best homemade lemon meringue pie recipe, best lemon meringue pie nz, homemade sweet pie nz, how to make lemon meringue pie, lemon meringue pie nz, lemon meringue pie recipe, lemon meringue pie recipe nz, maori food, maori recipes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 55 minutes
Chill Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 55 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

  • 1 x 25 cm tart or quiche tin with high sides

Ingredients

Sweet Lemon Pastry - Te Pōhā Rēmana

  • 1 ½ C (225 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
  • ½ C (75 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
  • He kini tote – a pinch of salt
  • 150 g  pata mātao (chilled butter)
  • (35 g) 1 hēki iti (small egg, size 6)
  • Finely grated lemon zest of one rēmana (lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)

Lemon Custard - Kahitete Rēmana

  • 3 hēki (eggs, size 6)
  • 3 tōhua hēki (egg yolks, reserve the egg whites for the meringue topping)
  • ¼ C kiri rēmana pīrahirahi (finely grated lemon zest of around 4 lemons.
  • ¾ C (185 ml) wai rēmana (lemon juice, freshly squeezed)
  • ¾ C (165 g) huka one (caster sugar)
  • 1 ½ C (375 ml) kirīmi (cream)

Italian Meringue - Merenge Itariana

  • 3 kahu hēki (eggs whites, reserved from the custard mixture)
  • ½ tsp kirīmi tāta (cream of tartar)
  • ¾ C (165 g) huka one (caster sugar)
  • ¼ C (60 ml) wai (water)

Instructions

Make the Sweet Lemon Pastry:

  • Create one quantity of my Sweet Lemon Pastry until the last step, which is to chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven:

  • As the pōhā (pastry) chills, preheat the oven to 170 °C, fan bake.
    Grease a 25 cm tart/quiche tin with high sides, with pata (butter).

Roll out the Pastry:

  • Unwrap the chilled pōhā (pastry) and roll it out on a large piece of baking paper, making sure it is an even thickness all over.
    Roll it out so that it is around 3 cm wider than the tin, approximately 28 cm.
  • Flip the pastry in to the tin and reserve the baking paper.
    Take the time to even out the pastry with your hands and press it in to the groves of the tin on the base and the sides.
    Trim off the excess pastry around the tin, leaving an excess of around one cm or so above the rim.

Chill the Pastry:

  • Return to the fridge for 30 minutes.

Blind Bake the Pastry:

  • After it has chilled, press the baking paper in to the pastry and fill it with baking weights.
    Bake for 15 minutes with the baking weights in.
  • After 15 minutes, remove the weights and bake the pōhā (pastry) for another 10 minutes until the pastry is golden.
    Leave to cool as you make the kahitete (custard).

Make the Lemon Custard:

  • Turn the oven down to 160 °C.
  • Add the hēki (eggs), tōhua hēki (egg yolks), kiri rēmana (lemon zest), wai rēmana (lemon juice) and huka one (caster sugar) in to a large bowl.
  • Using a whisk, gently whisk the ingredients together until just combined. Do not whisk vigorously here, just stir until combined. We don't want to create too much air in the mixture.
  • Continue to gently whisk as you pour in the kirīmi (cream). Once it is combined, the kahitete (custard) is ready.

Bake the Lemon Custard:

  • Pour the kahitete (custard) in to the baked pōhā (pastry). Using a spoon remove any bubbles that are floating on the top.
  • Then gently place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until it is just set. There should be a sight wobble in the middle.
  • Remove from the oven and cool on the bench for 30 minutes.

Refrigerate the Lemon Custard:

  • After 30 minutes, transfer it to the fridge and chill for at least three hours.
    This will also keep well and develop delicious flavour if covered well and refrigerated or up to the three days.

Make the Italian Meringue:

  • A few hours before you are ready to serve the pie or up to 12 hours before, make the merenge (meringue).
  • Make one quantity of my Italian Meringue recipe.
  • Remove the pae rēmana (lemon pie) from the fridge and place it on a serving plate or cake stand.
  • There are two methods of adding the meringue and torching it. You choose which one you prefer.

Decorate by swirling the Meringue:

  • Dollop all of the merenge (meringue) on top of the cool pie and make swirls with your fork or knife.

Decorate by Piping on the Meringue:

  • Spread the lemon custard with a thin layer of meringue.
    Transfer the rest to a piping bag and using a round piping tip. Pipe meringue all over it, creating different shapes and sizes.

Toasting the Meringue with a Chef's Torch:

  • Toast the meringue using a chef's torch to deeply toast the meringue.

Toasting the Meringue under the Grill:

  • Heat the grill or broil setting to 200 °C.
    Once it is as temperature, place the pie under the hot grill quite close to the elements. Allow it brown for 3 - 5 minutes but watch it closely.

Decorate and Chill:

  • Top with lavender petals for added pizzaz or whatever things you love.
  • Chill the pie again for around 2 hours to allow the merenge (meringue) to set for the cleanest cut of the pie.
    The pie will be at its best refrigerated for up to 12 hours but beyond that the meringue will start to lose its integrity.

Serve the Pie

  • Serve with fresh tūrutu (blueberries) or rahipere (raspberries).