You might be wondering about the name and why I’m not just calling it lemon tart or lemon pie. The thing is, I made this tart for my mom and for her it brought back childhood memories. Apparently, when they were kids in Peru they used to eat this tart and they called it “pay de limón.” If we already use more and more anglicisms in Spain, you can imagine how common they are in Latin American countries and the kind of Spanglish that reigns there. In any case, whether or not this is the authentic Peruvian recipe, and whether you call it tart, pie, or pay, this dessert turned out absolutely delicious.
What do we need?
150 g (5.3 oz) ground digestive-style biscuits
110 g (1/2 cup) butter
400 g (14 oz) condensed milk
Half a cup of lemon juice
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
85 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar
How do we make it?
First, melt the butter in the microwave and mix it with the ground biscuits until you get a uniform paste. Put this mixture into a shallow oven-safe pie pan. Press with your fingers until you’ve covered the bottom and sides of the pan well.
Pop it in the oven (preheated to 180°C / 350°F) and bake for 15 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.
To prepare the filling, mix the condensed milk well with the lemon juice and egg yolks. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base in the pan and put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.
To make the meringue, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt using a whisk (electric is better; it’ll save you time and sore arms). Gradually add the sugar until you get a firm consistency.
Now all that’s left is to put the meringue on top of the lemon tart. You can use a piping bag or just spoon it on, forming peaks.
Finally, when it’s completely covered, put it back in the oven for a few minutes so the meringue browns slightly.
Tips:
If you don’t love the tangy lemon flavor, you can reduce the amount of juice.
When you make the meringue, you need to get it really firm (you should even be able to flip the bowl upside down and have it stay put). It’s really important that neither the bowl nor the whisk have any grease on them so the whites whip up properly. Also, be careful in the oven because meringue burns really quickly, so never leave it unattended.
If you prefer, you can make a shortcrust pastry for the base.
[English version] LEMON PIE* *Ingredients:
*2 cups ground biscuits *
1/2 cup butter
400 g condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
3/4 confectioner’s sugar
*First, melt butter in the microwave and stir well with ground biscuits. Put this mix into a pie mould using your fingers to press. Cover the bottom and the sides of the mould. *
Bake in preheated oven (to 180º) for 15 minutes.
*For the filling, mix together condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks. Pour the lemon mixture into the baked biscuit pastry. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. *
*Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt (use an electric whisk for better results and saving time). Add sugar gradually and keep whipping until getting a firm meringue. *
*Pour the meringue over the lemon pie. You can use a piping bag or use a spoon to make peaks. *
*Bake in oven for a few minutes until slightly golden brown. *
Tips:
- If you don’t like strong lemon flavour, you can reduce the amount of lemon juice.
- When making meringue you need a firm mixture (you could even put the mixing bowl upside down and it will keep there). To get good results, the mixing bowl has to be completely free of grease. Be careful when baking meringue because it get burnt very easily.
- You can also make shortbread pastry instead of biscuit pastry.
Comments
Marisa (2013-04-03 10:48:50):
Yum! I love this tart. Make it for me one day, please. :)