Lime Meringue Pie
This lime meringue pie has a flaky homemade crust, tangy lime curd, and billowy Swiss meringue. I add a few drops of natural green food color to the curd but this is totally optional.
Equipment
- 9 inch pie dish
- Pie weights
Ingredients
Pastry
- 156 g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter cold
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- 80 g Ice cold water
Lime filling
- 4 large egg yolks use whites for meringue
- 240 g water
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 120 g fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon lime zest
- 3-4 drops green food color optional
Swiss meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pastry
- Chop the butter into small cubes and chill them in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter bits.
- Mix lemon juice or vinegar into the ice-cold water. Drizzle about ¾ of the water over the flour mixture, combining with a spatula or hands until it holds together without being sticky. Add more water if needed, one tablespoon at a time. If the dough crumbles, add a bit more water.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a mound. Wrap tightly and chill for 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a 10-inch (25cm) rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and the top third over it, like a pamphlet. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat the folding. Gently shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic and wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Rolling the pastry
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Place the chilled pie dough on the floured surface and evenly sprinkle some flour. Press down gently with a rolling pin, starting from the center of the dough and working your way out. Rotate the dough 90 degrees after each pass to ensure a nice and even circular shape. Continue doing this until you get a crust thickness of about 1/6-inch, around 1 inch/ 3 cm larger than your pie plate.
- Once the dough is rolled out, gently place it into the pie dish, ensuring it is centered. Press the dough lightly against the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Trim any excess dough hanging over the edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch/1 cm overhang. Tuck the overhang under itself, creating a thicker edge. – To flute the dough, use your thumb and index finger to create a V-shape on the outer edge while pressing your other index finger from the inside of the crust to form a U-shape between the V.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Using a fork, gently prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust to prevent puffing during baking. Line the crust with parchment paper. Spread the pie weights, rice, or dried beans over the parchment-lined crust, and make sure you fill it high enough so it's right to the top.
- Bake it for approximately 10-15 minutes until the edges of the pie crust are lightly browned. Remove it from the oven and lift off the parchment paper and weights. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and place the pie crust back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it’s nicely golden brown and baked.
Lime curd
- Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and whisk them together by hand. Set aside. Save the egg whites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for when you make the meringue.
- Whisk water, sugar, lime juice, cornstarch, salt, and lime zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let it boil, whisking regularly until it becomes thick and glossy.
- Take it off the heat, and add about a tablespoon at a time of the hot mixture into the egg mixture, whisking while you do. Once about half has been added, add the egg mixture into the saucepan and place it over low-medium heat. Cook until the mixture is thick and boiling again, whisking continuously. Take it off the heat and whisk through the food color if using.
- Pour this mixture into the chilled crust. If you want extra smooth curd, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer first.
- Let the curd cool to room temperature, then let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until cold and set.
Swiss meringue
- Once the pie is cold, start the meringue. Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer or a heat-proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Whisk the egg white mixture until the sugar has dissolved when you rub some between your fingertips. If you have a food thermometer, it should read 160°F/71°C.
- Transfer the warm egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add in the vanilla paste and a pinch of salt. Start on a low speed, gradually increasing to high speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form, and the mixture has cooled and is very thick and glossy.
Assembling and serving
- Dollop the meringue over the cold lemon filling and use an offset spatula to spread it in an even layer. You could also use a piping bag to add the meringue. Add in a few glossy peaks and dips to the meringue. Torch the meringue with a blow torch so it's a deep golden brown. Alternatively, place it under a hot broiler for 2-4 minutes until browned on top.
- Slice the pie with a sharp knife. If you want clean slices, wipe the knife in between each cut. Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Notes
Both metric and US cup conversions are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 290mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 476IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
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