Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie with Brown Rice Flour Pastry

Brown Rice Sweet Pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Rub some butter around the inside of a 18cm/7’’ tart or flan dish or insert a baking liner.
3. Put the flour, pastry sugar and xanthan gum into a bowl, stir to combine and sieve this into a mixing bowl.
4. Add the butter and work into the flour with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5. Break the egg into the bowl and stir it in to make a slightly sticky ball of dough.
6. Cover and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Dust your work surface with flour and place the dough in the middle and sprinkle it with flour.
8. Roll out the pastry into a circle 5cm/2” larger than your dish and lift it into the dish, OR simply press it into the baking dish using your fingers.
9. Cut away any pastry that hangs over the edge of the dish.
10. Prick the pastry all over with a fork.
11. Place a sheet of baking parchment over the pastry to cover it completely.
12. Scatter ceramic baking beans (or rice or flour) over the parchment, spreading them all over the surface.
13. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
14. Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment and ceramic beans off the pastry.
15. Return the pastry to the oven and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until dry, without browning too much.

Lemon Filling

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Put the sugar, filling cornflour, water, egg yolks, grated lemon rind and juice into a saucepan, and whisk to mix thoroughly.
3. Put the pan over a medium heat and continue whisking as the mixture starts to bubble and thicken.
4. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Take the dish out of the oven, the filling may still be a little wobbly, and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
6. Proceed with the topping or leave to cool.

Meringue Topping

1. Pre-heat the oven if needed.
2. Measure the icing sugar, topping cornflour and vitamin C, if used, into a bowl, stir to combine then sieve these into another bowl and set aside.
3. Put the caster sugar into the spare bowl.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
5. Add the icing sugar blend, a spoon at a time, and continue beating until it is all incorporated.
6. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the meringue and mix it in with a metal spoon, using gentle cutting and folding action.
7. Spoon the meringue gently onto the lemon pie, leaving peaks on the top.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the meringue is golden.
9. Allow to cool in the tin then using the parchment, gently lift the pie from the oven dish on to a serving plate.
10. Serve warm or cold.