Lemon meringue pie, the recipe step by step

Ingredients

The pie crust :

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2/3 cup icing sugar
• 1 oz powdered almonds
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1.5 cups flour

Lemon curd :

• 3 organic lemons
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup butter

Italian meringue :

• 3 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water

Materials

• 11 inches pie pan
• Cooking thermometer
• Piping bag (optional)
• Torch (optional)

Preparation

• The pie crust :
  In a bowl, put the softened butter, the icing sugar, the vanilla sugar, the salt and the powdered almonds, and combine to get a creamy and smooth mix. Then, add the egg and mix well. The mix should be lumpy. Add the flour, and mix using your hands to form a ball. Caution, don't knead more than necessary, you just have to get a smooth dough.
• Wrap the dough in some plastic foil and flatten it a little. Put in the fridge for 1 hour (if you put it as a ball, it will take longer to chill).
  
• Roll the dough out and line the pie pan with it. Sting it with a fork, then put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, bake 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
• The lemon curd :
  Combine the eggs with the sugar and the corn starch. Add 2 lemons juice and the peel of one of them. Mix well, then thicken it on medium heat, constantly stiring with a whisker.
  
• Once the curd has gotten thick enough, take it out of the heat, and all the butter. Mix until it has all melted, and add the last lemon juice.
• Pour this custard in the baked crust, smooth the top, and put in the fridge for 1 hour.
  
• The Italian meringue :
  Put the sugar and the water in a pot, and bring to a boil. Put your thermometer in it and wait until the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C).
• While the syrup reaches its temperature, start whisking the egg whites : they have to be foamy. Once the syrup reaches 240°F, pour it in a thin stream on the egg whites while whisking.
  
• Then, whisk at high speed, until the bowl gets cold again (it can take around 10 minutes).
• Fill a piping bag with the meringue, and put it on the lemon pie. You can spread it if you don't have a piping bag.
  
• Finally, grill the meringue using a torch. If you don't have one, put it under the grill of your oven for 5 minutes.
• There you are, your lemon meringue pie is ready!