Mouth-Watering Lemon Pot Pies

Lemon meringue pie is probably my all-time favorite dessert. Between the smooth yet tangy lemon curd and the soft fluffy meringue on top it has everything you could ever want in a dish. What puts me off making lemon meringue though is the crispy flaky pie crust. Not that I don’t like the crust, but it always takes so long to make. This lemon pot pies recipe is my adaption of the classic lemon meringue. The recipe is simplified into a quick easy to make version that is virtually foolproof to make.

The Lemon Curd

A curd needs to be smooth and tangy. Time should be taken to prepare the curd properly. Rushed curd will likely end up with a lumpy texture, and possibly an eggy taste. To start the curd, place the corn flour and sugar in a small saucepan and stir to combine together. Next, add in the lemon juice and water, and stir everything until its smooth and you have no lumps of cornflour.

Note: Using 1 large lemon, you may get more than 65 ml of lemon juice. Measure the lemon juice and then top with water to make 190 ml of liquid in total. A little extra lemon juice can help increase the tang of the curd.

Heat the corn flour mixture slowly over a medium-low heat, stirring it constantly as it’s heated. It doesn’t take too long but the mixture will start to thicken and when it does turn the heat to low and continue to stir it for an extra minute. You will know when the lemon mixture is ready as it will turn it a lovely and glossy translucent color.

Remove the thickened lemon mixture from the heat and then finish the curd by stirring in the lemon rind, egg yolks and butter.

Preparing the Meringue Topping

Meringue is essentially an egg white foam that has become stabilized with sugar. In this recipe we are using the French meringue technique, which is what most people tend to use when making meringue at home.

Start by adding your egg whites to a stand mixer, and then use a balloon whisk on a high speed to mix the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. When adding in the egg whites, ensure you have no egg yolk included or you will not be able to whip your whites into soft peaks.

Note: Instead of the stand mixer you can also use a small bowl with an electric hand mixer or a food processor with the appropriate attachment to make the meringue.

Once our egg whites have started forming peaks gradually add in the castor sugar. Continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Ensure you scrap down any remaining sugar from the sides of the bowl too.

At this point, you should now have a smooth glossy mixture. You can check if your meringue is ready by stirring a whisk through the mixture. If done right, you should have nice soft peaks that don’t collapse. Your pot pies are now ready to start assembling.

Assembling the Pot Pies

You can either make these pot pies in 1/2 cup ramekins or in small glass jars. I love to use the jars here as you get to see the vibrant yellow curd as you serve them up to friends and family.

Start with your lemon curd and divide it evenly between 4 jars/ramekins. Place the jars onto a baking tray (the tray will help make it easier to transfer the pies to and from the oven).

Next, spoon the prepared meringue mixture over the top of the filling. If you want to make it a bit fancier use a piping bag instead, creating a lovely swirl like pattern on top.

Baking the Pot Pies

A hot oven is used to briefly cook the meringue, giving the outside a lovely golden crust. Place the tray of assembled pot pies into the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. The meringue at this point should be lightly browned on top.

The pot pies are best made and eaten hot. Remove the pot pies from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to burn your mouth on hot curd or your hands on the side of the hot jars. You can also serve with sponge biscuits on the side, if desired.

Leftover pot pies will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, if they manage to last that long not being eaten.