Lemon Meringue Slice

Directions

• The first step is to make the lemon curd. Take a small, heavy based saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Add the sugar, cornflour and lemon juice and stir to combine the ingredients. Add one cup of water. Keep stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved.
• Increase the heat until the mixture begins to bubble. When it starts to thicken, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the lemon rind, the egg yolks and the butter. When all the ingredients are well mixed, transfer the contents of the saucepan to a bowl cover with cling film, then refrigerate for 2 hours.
• While the lemon curd is refrigerating, you can make the pastry. Prepare a 20cm by 30cm tin by greasing it, then lining it with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper so that it extends 5cm above the side of the pan. This will make it easier to remove the slice from the tin later. 
• Place the flour and the butter in a food processor and blend until they combine to form the texture of breadcrumbs. Turn the speed down low, and gradually add the water. The ingredients should start to come together to form a dough.
• Take the pastry dough out of the food processor and form it into a ball, then wrap it in cling film. Put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Make sure you have a clean, flat surface ready for rolling out the pastry. Dust it with some flour. Take the pastry out of the refrigerator and place it unwrapped on the flat surface, then lightly dust your hands with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry into a rectangle that measures approximately 28cm by 40cm.
• Once the pastry has been rolled, gently lay it into the prepared tin. It should be large enough to cover the bottom of the tin and stretch up the sides. If it is too large, trim the edges carefully with scissors or a knife. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, then put the tin in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, take the pastry out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 390 degrees fahrenheit. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the pastry and then add some baking weights or uncooked rice. Put the tray in the oven and blind bake the pastry for 15 Minutes, then take it out of the oven and carefully remove the rice/weights and the parchment paper. Bake the pastry uncovered for a further 15 to 18 minutes. Take it out of the oven and set aside.
• Now you need to make the meringue. Place the egg whites, sugar and lemon juice into a stand mixer, or use a mixing bowl and an electric hand whisk. Beat the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is nice and thick. It should take on a glossy appearance. 
• Turn the oven up to around 420 degrees fahrenheit and move the oven rack up to the highest shelf. Take your lemon curd and spoon it over the pastry case, spreading it out evenly using the back of a spoon. Next, add the meringue. You can add it in one layer, or you can use a piping bag to pipe it on in swirls. 
• Place the tray onto the top shelf and bake it for 3 to 4 minutes to turn the meringue from white to golden. If you have a blow torch, you could use this instead. Once the meringue is nicely cooked, take the tray back out of the oven. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the lemon meringue slice out of the tray and onto a plate or a board to continue cooling. Once it has cooled down, use a sharp knife to cut it into 24 squares.