HI, I am an experienced baker, but one thing i always seem to get is a soggy bottom on my lemon Merigune pie. I ALWAYS blind bake my pastry. But i find the filling tends to weep a little, thus making my pastry a bit on the soggy side. Any of you lovely people experienced the same, or have a fix for me? I am hoping to make on this evening!
Thanks!
Welcome to the forum. There are a number of factors that cause the weeping: type of thickener, temperature the filling is heated to, steam from the hot filling trapped between the filling and the meringue.
A standard lemon meringue filling is thickened with corn flour. Unfortunately, cornflour breaks down when exposed to heat for a long time.
Also the egg in the filling will break down when exposed too high a temperature. Trying a different lemon filling, specifically Pierre Herme’s lemon filling should eliminate most of the problems that cause the filling to weep.
Pierre Herme’s lemon cream filling is a stoke of genius. Herme the culprit in a runny filling is a lack of emulsification. By adding the butter after the custard is cooked and cooled a bit, keeps the butter from separating. The result is a filling that does not leak or spill out of the crust when sliced. And too this filling is light, very lemony, and delicious. It is now my go to lemon filling. A couple of weeks ago I made this for a lemon tart. After the tart was sliced the remainder set on the dining room table for several hours. The pie did not leak, ooze, or break down in any other way.
Here’s the recipe.
**Note the key is too add the butter after the custard is cooked. Also do not cook the custard to a temperature beyond 180°F (82°C).
Pierre Herme’s lemon cream.
The zest of 3 fresh lemons
220 g caster sugar
200 g eggs (4 large)
160 g fresh squeezed lemon juice
300 g unsalted butter, cut in large cubes and room temperature.
Set a mediums saucepan on the stove top filled 1/4 full of water. Bring to a simmer. Do not boil. Lower the heat to keep the water at a simmer.
In a heatproof bowl, grate the lemon zest in the caster sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils. Let set for a few minutes.
Stir in eggs and lemon juice into the sugar.
Place the bowl on a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring slowly and continuously over low heat, cool to 180°F (82°C). Do not exceed this temperature.
Filter custard through a fine strainer. Transfer to a food processor or blender.
Let cool to 140°F (60°C).
Turn on the food processor and gradually add 4 - 5 cubes of butter at a time, allowing each addition to blend into the lemon mixture.
If using a blender, scrape down the sides as needed.
After the last addition of butter, blend until the mixture is completely emulsified.
Transfer the lemon cream to a glass or metal bowl. Cover the surface of the lemon cream with cling wrap.
Chill at least 4 hours.
Fill your piecrust with lemon cream. Top with the meringue, then bake in a 325°F (163°C) oven until
meringue edges are browned.
This makes enough filling for a 9” tart pan. It should be enough for a standard pie tin.
