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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour filling into baked pastry.
- Melt jelly over low heat. Glaze surface or pie with a thin layer of melted jelly.
- 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.