Sunday Afternoon Tea

I love the idea of tea on a Sunday afternoon...  The clinking of pretty tea cups, lively chatter from sweet family members and the smell of a freshly baked cake, all make for a charming and delicious atmosphere of enjoyment...

This morning I thought I would put my skills (and patience) to the test and conjure up a lovely looking lemon meringue pie for our Sunday afternoon tea...

 Recipe to follow...

Shortcrust Pastry

250g all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

125g butter, chilled and cut into cubes

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 ½ - 2 tbsp cold water

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. 

2.  Add butter and rub together using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

3.  Add egg yolks and water and mix through by hand.  Gently knead until a smooth ball forms.  Do not overwork the pastry.

4.  Shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5.  Dust surface with flour and roll out dough until 3mm thick.  Wrap pastry around a rolling pin and transfer to tart tin.  Press tightly the corners and trim off excess pastry.

6.  Dock the base of the pastry with a fork.  Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

7.  Cover pastry with a sheet of baking paper and fill either with ceramic baking beans, dry beans or rice.

8.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry has set.  Remove the beans and baking paper and return tart shell to the oven for 5 minutes or until the base is golden.

Makes 1 x 24cm tart shell or 4 x 10cm tart shells.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For the Filling:

1 x 385g tin condensed milk

3 egg yolks

Juice and zest of 2 large lemons

For the topping:

3 egg whites

110g castor sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  In a bowl, mix condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest until well combined.

2.  Pour lemon mixture into a prepared pastry shell and bake for 7 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.

3.  Reduce heat to 150 degrees Celsius.  To make the meringue topping, whisk egg whites until soft peak stage.  Slowly add sugar and continue to beat until thick and glossy.

4.  Spoon dollops of meringue mixture onto baked lemon filling, return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until meringue is set and golden brown.

Hmmm...  Perfect!

What family traditions do you enjoy on a Sunday?

Linking up to:

~ She is like merchant ships, bringing her food from afar ~