Lemon Meringue Pie

Serves 8

Gluten free & vegan
Gluten & dairy free

1 x 8in sweet pastry case, cooked (see sweet pastry case)
1 lemon
280ml / ½ pt water
50g caster sugar
25g cornflour
2 eggs, separated
25g dairy-free margarine
100g caster sugar

Grate the zest and squeeze the juice of the lemon. Place into a large saucepan with the water and caster sugar. Bring to the boil.

Blend the cornflour in a cup with a little of the water.

Whisk the cornflour into the liquid and stir back to the boil until the mixture thickens.

Take off the heat and stir in the dairy-free margarine.

Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the lemon mixture while it is still hot.

Strain the lemon curd into the cooked pastry case.

Place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff (it is whisked enough when you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg white doesn’t move).

Whisk in 1/3 of the caster sugar until the meringue comes back to peak.

Add another 1/3 of the sugar and do the same.

Fold in the last 1/3 of sugar and either pipe or spread the meringue over the top of the lemon curd.

Place in an oven preheated to 220°c / 200°c fan oven / 425°f / gas mark 7 and bake for 10 minutes until the meringue is golden brown.

Serve hot or cold with cream.

Alternative filling – Gooseberry Curd
Enough to fill 3 small jam jars

450g gooseberries
150ml water
150g caster sugar
50g cornflour
50g dairy-free margarine.

You don’t need to top and tail the gooseberries as they will be passed through a sieve.
This recipe will only keep for 5 days stored in the fridge but it can frozen in plastic tubs.

Place the gooseberries and the water into a saucepan and boil until the gooseberries burst – about 10 mins.

Push through a sieve to get as much of the fruit through as you can.

Measure 500ml gooseberry puree into a saucepan, add the sugar and stir until boiling.

Add a little cold water to the cornflour to blend, whisk this into the boiling liquid until thick. Turn off heat.

Stir in the dairy-free margarine and strain into sterilised jam jars or plastic tubs for freezing.
This makes a lovely tart filling but is also great in cakes or on toast!