Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

The Pre-baked Lemon Meringue Pie

Base:

75g butter

175g digestive biscuits

25g Demerara sugar

Filling:

190g caster sugar

2 lemons, zest and juice

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in a little milk

175ml boiling water

Topping:

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

80g caster sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2.
2. Crush the biscuits finely (the easiest way of doing this is putting them in a plastic bag & use a rolling pin) and mix in the sugar.
3. Melt the butter and add the biscuits.
4. Press the biscuits into the bottom and up the sides of a pie dish.
5. Place in the fridge to firm until it's required to add the filling.
6. Place the sugar, lemon zest and juice in a pan.
7. Whisk together the egg yolk and cornflour and add to the pan with the boiling water.
8. Simmer over a low heat, stirring constantly until it has thickened.
9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
10. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, continue whisking and add the salt and caster sugar tablespoon by tablespoon.
11. Place the filling on the biscuit base, top with meringue and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the meringue is a light golden brown.

Serve with cream or ice cream either warm or cold.

Magic Mango Mess

Ingredients:

1-2 fresh mangoes

300ml whipped cream

100g meringues

50g white sugar

Method:

1. Peel & destone the mangoes and cut the flesh into centimetre squared pieces.
2. Whip the cream.
3. Crush the meringues.
4. Gently fold the sugar, crushed meringues and chopped mangoes into the whipped cream.

ENJOY on a summer's day as a lovely fresh dessert!!!

Meringues

Freshly baked meringues

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

110g caster sugar

2 tsp corn flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas 1 or 100C.
2. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
3. Add half of the sugar and whisk until it is glossy.
4. Fold in the other half of the sugar and corn flour.
5. Dollop teaspoons full of the mixture onto a baking sheet (or greaseproof paper) on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until crisp and golden.
6. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheet with a pallet knife.

Serve as part of a dessert or place whipped cream between 2 meringues and squeeze together...

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Cakes:

115g butter

200g caster sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence

190g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

120ml milk

zest and juice of 2 lemons

Meringue topping:

3 egg whites

2 tsp cornflour

110g caster sugar

Method:

Cupcakes ready to go in the oven

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180C.
2. Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla essence until smooth.
4. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix until smooth.
5. Add the milk and lemon zest and juice, mix again until smooth.
6. Fill cupcake cases with the mixture and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden.
7. Allow to cool.
8. Whisk egg whites until stiff.
9. Add half of the sugar and whisk until glossy.
10. Fold in the rest of the sugar and corn flour.
11. Dollop the meringue mix on top of the cooled cupcakes and place back in the oven at Gas Mark 1 or 100C for 30-45 minutes and the meringues are crisp and golden brown.