I love lemon meringue pie…. that buttery pastry, the tangy lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping- what is not to love! I have to confess however, that a lemon meringue pie is a dessert that’s always challenged me. If it’s not a soggy crust it’s a weepy meringue – these are usually the common issues I run into. No matter what I do, when I try to slice a homemade lemon meringue pie, either the meringue slides right off, or the crust just crumbles into a million pieces… although it does taste fine, it’s a huge mess & not pretty to look at! On Thursday morning, Hirsch’s Fourways kicked off on a sweet note when they hosted their monthly Kitchen Capers cooking demo on the Siemens stand. Chef Karen Blanche from Guvon Academy did a demo on a Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie – was I intrigued! It consisted of sweet crust pastry, lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping. Who needs boring old lemon meringue pie when you can get it in an art form. The dish has all the elements I love about the sweet and tangy tart— the lemon curd, the toasted meringue, the buttery crust—but in a form so beautiful you’d think it came out of the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant. This is now my favourite recipe to practice your creativity with. Actually, when serving a Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie, your guests receive all the components required– the lemon curd, a cookie-like foundation, dollops of meringue, etc. – and then it’s their job to assemble it. Whola you have a Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie!
Gather all the ingredients and let your creativity go wild

Lemon Curd

Lemon curds success is dependent on using fresh lemon juice; we have added a little gelatin to allow the setting with in the tart case, allowing us to cut the tart neatly.

Ingredients:
250g Sugar
250g Butter
250g Eggs
500g Lemon Juice
1 Lemon zest
5 Gelatine leaves
Method:
In a Saucepan, cook (bring to a boil) the lemon juice, sugar &butter.
Tempering in the eggs, and cook until thick.(adding one by one)
Stir continuously till thick – should coat the back of a spoon like custard – low heat.
Allow to cool slightly then add the bloomed gelatin. (squeezing off any access water)

Sweet Pastry
This sweet pastry can be made in plain or in a chocolate variant, depending on the application. Very stable and nice to roll.
Ingredients:
325g Butter
175g Icing Sugar
100g Egg
500g Cake Flour
Pinch of Salt
Method:
Cream together the butter and sugar very lightly – do not overmix, or you will add too much air to the pastry. Gradually add the eggs. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all the ingredients are uniformly mixed. Add the flour and salt and mix until you have a combined dough. Flatten out slightly then wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Roll out. Cut into round discs.
Chefs note:
Do not over-mix as this will develop gluten- and this will make the pastry tight –only bring ingredients together to form a dough.
Pass mixture through a sieve.
Leave to set overnight.
Chefs note:
As the gelatin absorbs the liquid, each granule becomes enlarged; this is known as “blooming”. “Blooming” gelatin is a step integral to ensuring the smooth texture of a finished product.

Swiss Meringue
Swiss meringue is made with the same ingredient ratio as French meringue, but has a much fluffier end result, and with the added benefit of the meringue already being cooked.
Ingredients:
400g Caster Sugar
200g Egg White
Pinch of Salt
¼ teaspoon Cream of Tarter
½ teaspoon Vanilla Essence
Method:
Fill a wide pot with at least 2 inches of water – bring to a boil. In a stainless steel container – wide enough to fit on top of the pot, add the eggs and sugar, whisk well. Place the mixture on top of the water, bring the water down to a light simmer. Add the vanilla, salt and cream of tartar. Whisk the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Then place mix in a high speed mixer for 15 minutes. Meringue should be firm and glossy. Meringue is now ready to be piped/spread and dried.
To serve:
1. Place a few biscuits on your serving plates.
2. If the lemon curd is thick, stir in a little lemon juice. Mix well, until smooth. Dollop some onto each plate.
3. Pipe meringue onto plate – this meringue can also be toasted on the plate.
4. Break honeycomb into shards. Place creatively on top of the lemon curd.
5. Add a scoop of sorbet on the side or serve with whipped cream (optional)