Golden Mary Berry’s Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Mary Berry’s classic Lemon Meringue Pie features a buttery, tender pastry crust filled with a tangy, luscious lemon custard and topped with a fluffy, perfectly stabilized meringue. This recipe combines expert pastry techniques with a vibrant citrus filling and a light, sweet meringue crown to create a timeless dessert that impresses both in flavor and presentation.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes plus chilling time
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Base
- 8 oz all-purpose flour (or King Arthur for best results)
- 6 oz unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 oz confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
Lemon Filling
- 2 1/4 oz cornstarch, sifted
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature
- Zest and juice from 6 lemons (about 3/4 cup juice)
- 9 oz superfine sugar
- 16 fl oz water
Meringue Topping
- 8 oz superfine sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
Instructions
- Make and Chill the Pastry Crust: Combine the flour and softened butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beaten egg, pulse again until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough onto a work surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Line and Blind Bake the Pie Shell: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out the chilled dough to 3mm thickness and line a 23cm flan tin. Trim excess pastry. Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans to prevent puffing. Bake for 15 minutes, remove beans and parchment, bake a further 5 minutes until base is set but pale. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 170°C (340°F).
- Prepare the Lemon Filling Base: In a bowl, combine zest, lemon juice, and sifted cornstarch. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. While stirring constantly, pour lemon-cornstarch mixture into boiling water. Stir for 2-3 minutes until thickened to a glossy custard-like consistency.
- Finish the Lemon Filling: Whisk egg yolks with superfine sugar until smooth. Gradually pour a small amount of the hot lemon mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs, whisking constantly. Return the combined mixture back to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens further.
- Fill the Pastry Shell: Pour the hot lemon custard filling into the pre-baked pastry shell and smooth the surface.
- Make the Meringue: In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add superfine sugar and 2 tsp cornstarch while whisking to stabilize the meringue. Continue whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Top and Bake the Pie: Spoon or pipe the meringue over the lemon filling, ensuring it touches the edges of the pastry to seal in the filling. Bake in the oven at the reduced temperature (170°C / 340°F) for about 15-20 minutes until the meringue is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. This resting time helps the filling set perfectly.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for better volume in both lemon filling and meringue.
- Do not overwork the pastry dough to keep it tender and flaky.
- Blind baking prevents a soggy bottom and ensures a crisp crust.
- Sifting the cornstarch removes lumps and helps achieve a smooth lemon custard.
- Adding cornstarch to meringue stabilizes it and prevents weeping.
- Ensure meringue is sealed at the edges to avoid shrinking or weeping of lemon filling.
- Cooling the pie completely before chilling improves texture and sliceability.
Keywords: lemon meringue pie, Mary Berry, lemon custard pie, classic British dessert, homemade pastry, meringue topping
