Okay, so yesterday I decided to tackle a lemon meringue biscuit base – something I’d seen floating around online and thought, “Why not?” I’m no pro baker, but I do enjoy a good kitchen challenge. Here’s how the whole thing went down.
Getting Started
First, I had to get my ingredients together. It’s pretty basic stuff, really: biscuits (I used those plain digestive ones), butter (unsalted, because that’s what I had), sugar, lemons (obviously!), eggs, and a bit of cornstarch.
Crushing and Mixing
The first real step was crushing the biscuits. I don’t have a fancy food processor, so I just put them in a big Ziploc bag and went at it with a rolling pin. It’s actually kind of therapeutic, getting all that smashing done. Once they were pretty fine crumbs, I melted the butter in a saucepan – low heat, don’t want it to burn – and mixed it all into the biscuit crumbs with a bit of sugar. This is your basic biscuit base, like for a cheesecake.
Pressing and Baking (or Not)
Then, I pressed this buttery, crumbly mixture into the bottom of a loose-bottomed tart tin. I’ve seen some recipes that say to bake the base for a bit, but I decided to go with the no-bake route this time. Mostly because I was feeling lazy. I just popped it in the fridge to chill and firm up while I worked on the filling.
The Lemon Curd
The lemon curd is where the real action is. I zested and juiced the lemons – I think I used about four, but it depends on how juicy they are. Then, in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler style, you know?), I whisked together the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs. The key here is to keep whisking, don’t let it sit, or you’ll get scrambled eggs. Not what we want.
Once it started to thicken a little, I whisked in the butter, bit by bit, until it was all melted and glossy. Then, the cornstarch mixed with a little water went in – this helps it set up nicely. You keep whisking until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Took about 10-15 minutes, I guess.
The Meringue
While the curd was cooling, I moved on to the meringue. I separated the eggs (used the yolks in the curd, remember?), making sure there was absolutely no yolk in the whites. Any little bit of fat will mess up your meringue. Then, with an electric mixer (thank goodness for that!), I whipped the egg whites until they were all foamy. Gradually, I added in the sugar, whipping until I got stiff, glossy peaks. That’s the sign it’s ready.
Assembly and Torching
Finally, time to put it all together! I took the biscuit base out of the fridge, poured the cooled lemon curd over it, and then spooned the meringue on top. You can get fancy with piping bags and stuff, but I just went for a rustic, swirly look.
The most fun part is using kitchen torch to caramel the meringue.
The Verdict
Honestly, it turned out pretty good! The biscuit base was nice and firm, the lemon curd was tangy and sweet, and the meringue was light and fluffy.
