Posted by Virginia French

My husband is obsessed with anything lemon and I am obsessed with my new set of cocottes.  Making this dessert is a lot of steps but with the steps but all of the steps except the meringue can be done in advance.  And also because the lemon filling is made in the microwave it makes it much easier, because it lessens the like hood of ending up with lemony scrambled eggs.  The result is a slightly sweet sugar cookie like crust, tart smooth lemon filling and airy sweet meringue.  My daughter was completely quiet while eating this dessert, which if you have a 6-year-old know that does not happen often.

The measurements for this recipe are based off filling 5 cocottes, but can also be used for one pie or 8 ramekins.  You can also stretch this recipe for 6 cocottes if you roll the dough out thinner and put less lemon filing.  If you make this recipe in cocottes just be warned that it makes a pretty large dessert, which people in my family prefer.

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Pie crust:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup ice water

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor and pulse until butter is cut into small bits, then add water  and pulse again until dough starts to come together.  Wrap dough mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.  You can also freeze the dough for future use.  Because I was looking for a more dense cookie like bottom I pulsed the food processor until the butter was very small, but if you would like a flakier crust pulse until the butter is about the size of peas.  In fact when you roll out the dough you should be able to see small bits of cold butter.

When ready to use dough, preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter cocottes (or whatever pan you are using).  Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out with large fluted round cutter.  Place gently into buttered cocottes and prick with fork about 3-4 times.  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  The crust should look lightly brown.  Cool to room temperature before using.

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Lemon filling:

Zest of 3 lemons

4 egg yolks

1 cup white sugar

1 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combing all ingredients in a large glass bowl and whisk together.  Place in microwave and cook for one minute, stir and repeat until lemon filling mixture is thick.  The picture above is what the filling should look like once it cooked to the right thickness.  The filling will continue to thicken as it cools.  Once mixture is cooled refrigerate until you are ready to use.

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Assembly & Meringue topping:

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to broil.

Divide lemon filling between the 5 baked and cooled pie crust cocottes.

In a stand mixer with whisk attachment whisk eggs whites until frothy.  On medium speed slowly add sugar, then beat on high until egg whites are stiff peaks.  Dollop meringue over pie crust and lemon filling and place under the broiler for 2 minutes.