Lemon meringue pie

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Sift the flour into a bowl with a small pinch of salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar. Mix the yolk with 2 tbsp very cold water. Add to the flour mixture and mix with a round bladed knife to make a stiff dough. You may need a few drops more water.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes.

Prick the pastry base with a fork, then line with a piece of baking paper. Weigh the paper down with uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and rice, then return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. To make the filling, put the cornflour and 225g of the caster sugar in a small pan. Gradually stir in the 250ml water until the mixture is smooth. Heat to a gentle boil, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Put the egg yolks in a bowl and stir to break them up. Pour in the cornflour mixture in a thin stream, stirring all the time. Pour into the flan case and bake for 15 minutes.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition. This is best done with an electric mixer.

Pile the meringue on top of the filling, making sure it covers completely with no gaps at the side. Form into peaks with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned and crisp on top, but soft inside.