Pastry
2½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 oz butter, diced
½ teaspoon lemon rind, finely grated
¾ cup ice cold water
Method: Preheat oven to 3500F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish with nonstick spray or butter and set aside.
Prepare the crust: Place the flour, salt and butter and lemon rind in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add just enough water to bind the ingredients.
Turn pastry out on a floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Remove from fridge and let it set until it reaches room temperature. Carefully roll out pastry and line the pie plate, being careful not to stretch the pastry. Return to fridge until the filling has been prepared.
Filling
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon corn starch
3 tablespoons all purpose cake flour
5 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature and separated
Ground cinnamon for dusting
Method: Heat the milk and bring it slowly to a boil. Mix a little of the milk with the corn starch, cake flour, sugar, salt and egg yolks to make a smooth paste. Stir in the remaining milk, stirring continuously until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk the egg whites till soft peaks form and fold it into the milk mixture. Spoon into the prepared pastry case and bake for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 3000F and bake for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve hot or cold.
Serves 6.