Lemon Meringue Pie | Slimming & Weight Watchers Friendly

Lemon Meringue Pie is back on the menu! We’ve given the zesty classic a slimming-friendly makeover, swapping the pastry case for a homemade biscuit base that’s lighter and even more delicious. The zingy-sweet lemon filling gets covered with airy meringue, then it goes into the oven until it’s golden and starting to crisp on top. It’s the perfect pudding for any occasion!

📝 Ingredients

• 250 g reduced-fat digestive biscuits
• 25 g reduced-fat spread, (melted)
• 1 medium egg white
• 3 lemons, (zest and juice)
• 200 ml cold water
• 3 medium egg yolks
• 50 g white granulated sweetener
• 40 g caster sugar
• 40 g reduced-fat spread
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 medium egg whites
• 30 g caster sugar
• 20 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pre-heat: Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little reduced-fat spread. Add the biscuits to a large food bag and bash with a rolling pin into a very fine crumb.
2. 2Add the egg white to a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy and slightly thickened. Add the crushed biscuits along with the melted spread. Mix together.
3. 3Pour the mixture into the tin. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs down onto the base and up the sides of the tin to form a biscuit crumb pie case. Place the tart tin onto a baking tray and then place into the oven for 10-12 minutes. The case should be crisp. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 160°C.
4. 4Add: To make the filling, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, cornflour, sweetener and sugar to a saucepan. Mix using a balloon whisk until smooth. Pour in the cold water and set the pan on medium heat. Continue to whisk as the mixture heats. It should start to bubble and thicken into a smooth mixture.
5. 5Lower the heat and add the reduced-fat spread and egg yolks and whisk quickly to incorporate. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, vigorously stirring until the mixture thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon and look like custard in consistency. Pour into the pie case and spread out evenly. Leave to one side to cool slightly while you make the meringue.
6. 6Place the egg whites into a very clean mixing bowl. Make sure there is no egg yolk in the bowl with the egg whites. Start to whisk, using an electric hand whisk, until the egg whites form soft peaks.
7. 7Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and whisk until fully mixed in. Then sift in the icing sugar and whisk in a little at a time. The egg whites should be stiff and glossy, and when you feel the meringue, you should not be able to feel any grittiness, as the sugar should be dissolved. If it hasn’t, continue to whisk for another minute.
8. 8Add the cornflour and vanilla and whisk for an extra minute until combined.
9. 9Spoon the mixture onto the pie filling. We find it's best to add smaller spoonfuls of meringue all over the pie filling so that it doesn't sink. Once all of the meringue is on top of the pie, spread it out all the way to the crust, sealing in the filling and creating peaks and swirls as you go.
10. 10Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes. The meringue should be just turning golden brown and going crispy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour, then place into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Slice and serve!