My Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie

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My Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon meringue is an old English favourite, and for me it is so reminiscent of childhood. As with so many nostalgic recipes, I had it marked down on my list of ‘must veganize’ dishes. Well this one has really surpassed all expectations, and has all those yummy qualities of the original. With the help of egg replacer, I managed to recreate a light meringue, and also the wonderful lemony filling. Once again proving that, although we may eat a wholefood diet in the main, when it comes to a few treats, we don’t have to miss out on anything being vegan !

NOTE : Can also be made gluten-free by using all purpose GF flour (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PASTRY

1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting (see note above for gluten-free links)

¾ cup Earth Balance, or other vegan butter/margarine of your choice

a little bit of (very) cold water, if needed

the zest of ½ lemon

METHOD FOR THE PASTRY

Place ingredients in a food processor (not the water) and process until a ball is formed, if it is still crumbly add a little bit of water until it forms a ball. Then wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for a half hour.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING

3 Tbsp cornflour/corn starch

juice of 3 large lemons (less if you don’t like it both tart and sweet like I do)

the zest of one lemon

2 tsp egg replacer (available from here in the US, and here in the UK/Australia)

½ 350g packet of tofu (I use organic non-GMO Mori-Nu – available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)

½ cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

1/8 cup vegan milk (I use Alpro)

¾ tsp turmeric (available from here in the US, and from here in the UK)

METHOD FOR FILLING

Place the ingredients in a food processor and whizz for 2 minutes until totally smooth – taste for sweetness and tartness, and adjust accordingly.

INGREDIENTS FOR MERINGUE

90g (3.17oz) egg replacer (see links for where to purchase above) – double this quantity if you want a high meringue

½ tsp pectin (available from here in the US, and from here in the UK)

250 ml (8.45 fl oz) cold water

5 ml (1.7 fl oz) vanilla extract (available in the US from here, and in the UK from here)

125g (4.4 oz) icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

1 Tbsp soft brown sugar

½ tsp xantham gum (I use Dove’s Farm)

½ tsp agar agar powder (available in the US from here, and from here in the UK)

METHOD

First preheat your oven to 250ºF (130ºC).
Blend the egg replacer and pectin together thoroughly in a bowl. When mixed, add to a mixing bowl or your blender, along with the cold water, and mix on high speed for 5 minutes.
Then add your icing (confectioners’) sugar, vanilla, and soft brown sugar, and continue to mix on high speed for a further 5 minutes. The foam should start to increase in volume.

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE PIE

You will need a circular spring-form pan (or similar) around 8” diameter x 2½ deep.
First pre-heat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Then line the pan with greaseproof paper, and lightly grease the paper with a little sunflower oil.
Remove your dough from the fridge, and line your pan with it, take the edges up by a couple of inches – and place in your preheated oven until golden. Then remove, and allow it to cool down.
Next, having mixed the filling, pour it gently into the pie crust and bake for 20 minutes. Test if it has set – it should be semi-solid to the touch.
Now gently add the meringue on top, and place in the oven for an hour, or until it turns golden on top.
Remove, allow to cool, and then refrigerate overnight. Enjoy !