The lemon meringue pie - a with its origins in - is celebrated for its three distinct layers.
They are a shortcrust pastry base, zesty lemon curd filling and a cloud-like meringue topping. Celebrity chef James Martin has shared his own take on this classic dessert on his website, hailing it as "light, sweet and totally tasty" - perfect for an afternoon treat or a post-dinner delight.
For those looking to impress, the recipe can be adapted into individual portions by using separate tins. While the homemade pastry demands some extra care, the end result is sure to wow your guests.
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To start, preheat your oven to 200C and begin preparing the pastry. In a bowl, combine 200g of plain flour with 100g of butter, rubbing them together until you achieve a breadcrumb-like texture. Introduce one egg and a splash of water, mixing until cohesive. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth, then wrap in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Prepare your tart tins with a light greasing, roll out the chilled pastry, and line the tins, allowing it to chill again for 10-15 minutes. Blind bake the shaped pastry in your preheated oven for 20 minutes, then let it cool before spreading a generous layer of lemon curd over the base,
For the hot meringue, put the sugar on a lined baking tray and bake for five minutes. In the meantime, beat the egg whites until they're stiff, then mix in the hot sugar and whisk.
Transfer this into a piping bag and pipe it all over the tart, or just spread it over and create peaks with a knife. Use a blow-torch to give the meringue topping a bit of colour.
