Lemon S’mores Pie

Step 1: Prepare the Pastry

Start by sifting the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Make sure the ingredients are evenly combined. After that, add the vanilla seeds. To extract the vanilla seeds, cut open a vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the tiny black seeds with the tip of a knife. Add these seeds to the dry ingredients.

Next, cut the butter into small cubes. Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips. Work quickly so the butter doesn't melt. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs with no large chunks of butter remaining.

Once you’ve reached the breadcrumb stage, crack the egg into the mixture. Use a fork to stir and combine the egg with the butter and flour mixture until it forms a dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Once the dough starts to come together, knead it lightly on the surface to bring it into a ball.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps to relax the gluten, making it easier to roll out later.

Step 2: Roll Out the Pastry

While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) or gas mark 6. Once the dough has rested, lightly flour your work surface. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 2mm thick.

Next, prepare your tart cases. Butter 6 individual 10cm tart cases generously. This will help the pastry come out easily once baked. Use a 15cm diameter round cutter (or a bowl) to cut circles from the dough. These circles will be placed in the tart cases, and you want to ensure they fit properly.

Carefully lift each pastry circle and press it gently into each tart case. Press down so that the pastry fits snugly against the sides and bottom, being careful not to stretch the dough. Trim any excess dough from the edges of the tart cases.

Once the pastry is in the cases, refrigerate them again for 20 minutes. This helps the pastry firm up and reduces the chance of it shrinking during baking.

Step 3: Blind Bake the Pastry

Take the chilled tart cases from the fridge and line each one with a piece of baking paper or foil. Fill the lined pastry cases with rice or baking beans to prevent the pastry from puffing up as it bakes. This method is called blind baking.

Place the tart cases in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry turn golden brown. Once the edges are golden, carefully remove the baking paper and rice or beans from the tart cases. Return the tart cases to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to cook the pastry bases fully.

After the pastry is fully baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool at room temperature in the tart cases. The pastry should be crisp and firm.

Step 4: Make the Lemon Curd

To make the lemon curd, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large heatproof bowl. Make sure all ingredients are well combined.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. This is known as a double boiler. Whisk the mixture continuously for 7-8 minutes, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Be patient and keep whisking to avoid any lumps from forming.

Once the mixture has thickened, take it off the heat and add the butter, a few cubes at a time. Stir the butter in slowly, ensuring it melts and incorporates smoothly into the curd. Continue whisking until the curd becomes smooth and glossy.

Cover the curd with a piece of parchment paper or clingfilm, pressing it down onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the curd to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.

Step 5: Prepare the Toasted Marshmallows

While the curd cools, take a tray and spread out the marshmallows evenly. Using a blowtorch, carefully toast the marshmallows until they are a rich, golden-brown color with a slightly crispy exterior. If you don't have a blowtorch, you can place the marshmallows under a hot grill for a few minutes until they toast, but keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.

Once toasted, scrape the marshmallows off the tray and stir them into the cooled lemon curd. Don’t worry if there are some lumps of marshmallow; they will dissolve into the curd as you mix. Cover the curd again with clingfilm and allow it to set in the fridge.

Step 6: Make the Italian Meringue

To make the meringue, place the sugar and 200g water in a pan. Stir the mixture over low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely. Once dissolved, bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it reaches a temperature of 116°C. You will need a sugar thermometer to monitor the temperature.

While the sugar syrup is cooking, start whisking the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl using an electric mixer. Begin at a slow speed, gradually increasing the speed as the egg whites begin to form soft peaks.

Once the sugar syrup reaches 121°C, slowly pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites in a thin, steady stream while whisking at a high speed. Continue whisking until the meringue is thick, glossy, and cool to the touch. This will take about 10 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 10-12mm plain nozzle.

Step 7: Assemble the Tarts

Once the pastry has cooled, take the lemon curd with marshmallows from the fridge and spoon it generously into the cooled tart shells. Spread it evenly, leveling it to the top of the tarts.

Next, pipe the meringue over the lemon curd. Start by piping dots of meringue and then pull the piping bag up to create neat peaks on top of each tart. Make sure to cover the curd completely with meringue.

Finally, use a blowtorch to quickly brown the meringue until it is golden and crisp. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can place the tarts under a very hot grill for a few seconds. Keep a close eye on them as the meringue can burn quickly.

Once browned, your tarts are ready to serve. Enjoy your delicious, homemade Lemon S’mores Pie!