Lemon Meringue Pie

PLAIN PASTRY
130g all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
150g unsalted butter
3 to 4 tbsp water

LEMON FILLING
175 sugar
7 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs, separated
175g water
1 tbsp butter or margarine
2 lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel

DECORATION
Peach jelly
3 egg whites
130 powdered sugar
60g flaked almonds, toasted

1. For Pastry; preheat oven to 400F (205C). In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add 3 tablespoons water; toss with a fork until flour is moistened and mixture begins to form a ball. Add more water to crumbs in bottom of bowl, if necessary. Gather dough into a flat ball.

2. Roll out pastry; place in an 8 or 9-inch pie plate. Prick pastry with fork. To prevent pastry from rising during baking, cover with waxed paper. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

3. For filling, in a double boiler or saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Beat egg yolks and water until smooth; stir into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in butter or margarine, lemon juice and lemon peel. Let cool. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold carefully into cooled lemon mixture.

5. Pour filling into baked pastry.

6. Melt jelly over low heat. Glaze surface or pie with a thin layer of melted jelly.

7. For meringue topping, beat egg whites, until stiff but not dry. Gradually fold in sugar. Using a piping bag fitted with a wavy tip, pipe meringue in diagonal crisscross lines. Decorate edges with a thick band of meringue and flaked almonds. Bake at 400 F (205C) 5 minutes to set meringue.