I give you THE classic elegant French dessert: a flaky pie crust and a fluffy cloud of meringue that are separated by a layer of tangy and smooth lemon curd.

This is one of my go-to desserts when I’m receiving guests. It is easily made in advance, meaning no fuss about preparing or decorating on giving final touches at the last minute and honestly, it has a way of delighting nearly every human on earth (or at least a good majority of them). There are so many ways to twist and turn this dessert but I find that the original pie form stays the most impressive.

Lemon meringue pie recipe

For the pie crust

• 100 g (0,5 cup) of butter
• 250 g (1 cup) of flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3-4 tbsps of water

Pour flour and salt in a bowl, cut butter into small cubes over the flour. Work the butter and flour between your fingers into small crumbles. Add the water and mix with your hands until you can press the dough into a ball. If it doesn’t stick well together, add some more water a tablespoon at a time. Do not add too much water as the crust will become too firm afterwards! Place the dough ball in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Heat your oven to 200C/400F. Roll the dough into a disk, place in a pie/tart pan. Cover the dough with aluminum foil and place baking weights or dried beans upon the foil. Bake the crust for 20 min. Remove the foil with the weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. The baking time varies a bit depending on your oven so be sure to check the crust towards the end of the baking time.

The lemon curd

During the refrigerator time make the lemon curd. Here is the link to my really easy lemon curd recipe.

When the crust and the curd are cooled down a bit, pour the curd on the crust and let cool completely.

For the meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 150 g (3/4 cup) white sugar

Whisk 4 egg whites in a large bowl or in a stand mixer. When they have firmed a bit add the sugar one third at a time and whisk well until everything looks glossy and lovely. When you take out the whisks they should form stiff peaks or as they say in French a nice “bec d’oiseau” – the end of the whisk should look like a beak of a bird.

Use a rubber spatula to spread out the meringue on the pie forming little peaks all over. Or if you have time and patience you can pipe pretty patterns with a fancy piping nozzle.

Singe the top of the meringue with a blow torch or put it under the grill function of your oven for a few short minutes to get the beautiful look of slightly charred peaks and golden waves.

Place the pie in the refrigerator to cool for at least three to four hours or even overnight.

It is a wonderful dessert to make in advance that will definitely wow your guests. Enjoy!

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