Raspberry Lemon Meringue Pie©

Start by making the pastry. Place the butter and flour in a large mixing bowl and rub together with cold fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Really take your time to do this thoroughly

1. Next, add the golden caster sugar. Mix well. Follow with the water, almond flavouring and the egg yolk. Combine again until smooth and roll into a smooth ball. Wrap in cling-film and chill in the fridge for at least one hour

2. Grease a 23cm/9” flan/tart tin and set to one side

3. When ready to proceed, flour a surface and roll out the cold pastry (don’t worry if it keeps breaking apart, just roll it out so it is about £1 coin thick) and place it into the tart tin. Fill out the whole tin and prick the base with a fork several times to stop the pastry from rising. Squish the pastry neatly into the sides of the tart tin, leaving some overhang and no gaps. Pop back into the fridge covered in cling-film for another hour

4. When you are ready to proceed, pre-heat oven with an oven tray inside to 392˚f/200˚c regular oven or 356˚f /180˚c fan assisted oven. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line with baking paper. Add baking beads/rice and place on top of the pre-heated oven tray and blind bake for 20 minutes

5. Remove the pastry case from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 356˚f/180˚c regular oven or 320˚f /160˚c fan assisted oven

6. Remove the baking beads and baking paper. Set pastry case (still in the tin) to one side until later

7. Meanwhile, make the lemon layer. In a medium non-stick saucepan, add the cornflour and sugar into the pan and combine over a low heat

8. Add the water and lemon juice whilst continuously stirring, until smooth

9. Add the egg yolks, still continuously stirring whilst bringing to a gentle boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the butter and combine until thick. Set to one side to cool a little

10. Now make the raspberry layer. In a separate saucepan, add the raspberries and apple juice and heat over a medium-low heat until the raspberries start to bleed their colour

11. Stir in the sugars and combine until they have dissolved

12. Remove the mix from the heat and push the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan to extract the juice but leaving behind the seed (discard the seeds)

13. Add the cornflour and combine until there are no lumps

14. Place the pan back on to a medium/low heat and whisk in the egg yolks for 5 minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly

15. Spread the lemon layer over the bottom of the pastry case. Top with the raspberry mix. Be sure to spread both layers right up to the edges. Set to one side

16. Finally, make the meringue topping. Place the egg whites in a large, clean mixing bowl and whisk until forming soft peaks, whilst adding the golden caster sugar a heaped tablespoon at a time whilst mixing

17. Add the cornflour and vanilla essence and whisk until the meringue has thickened and it is shiny

18. Spoon the meringue around the edges of the pastry case and work your way into the middle- so the raspberry layer is completely covered and the meringue touches all the sides of the pastry

19. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes- until coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the tin for at least 3 hours before removing and serving (this is a soft, pudding style tart featuring a soft pastry bottom)