Lemon Meringue Pie

This was my favourite as a kid- and though this recipe is a bit of a hodge podge of different ones, it sure is delicious (and not that hard to make)

Lemon Meringue Pie
Pastry
2 cups plain flour
¼ cup icing sugar
150g butter chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. water
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Filling
2 lemons
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup cornflour
Cup water
3 egg yolks

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Sift icing sugar and flour together.
Add butter- rub in with your fingers till the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs
Add yolk, water and vanilla. Mix lightly. Pastry should form a ball
Wrap in plastic wrap. Rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface, to fit a 25cm flan tin. Ease pastry into tin, then trim edges.
Blind bake for 10 – 15 mins in a 200 degree oven.
Allow pastry to cool
Turn oven down to 180 degrees
Finely grate the rind of 1 lemon. Juice lemons- you need ½ cup. Combine the sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan and gradually stir in the lemon juice and water until smooth. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon rind and egg yolks, and mix quickly to combine. Allow to cool.
To make the meringue, use clean and dry electric beaters to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking each addition till glossy.
Spread the lemon base in the pie base, the top with meringue.
Bake for 10 mins or until brown.
Set aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.