Blackcurrant Meringue Pie

Heat the oven to 200C. Line a 23cm pie dish with the pastry. Chill for 30 minutes before baking blind for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Reduce oven to 180C.

Remove stalks from blackcurrants. Place in a pan with the caster sugar and 275ml water. Bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until the blackcurrants begin to soften. You may need to add more sugar to taste. Then drain the liquid into a clean pan.

Mix 3 tablespoons of this liquid with the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Pour back into the pan with the rest of the liquid and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to ensure no lumps! Keep stirring over a medium heat, until thickened and smooth.

Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Then beat in the egg yolks.

Return to the heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens again. Remove from the heat, stir in the blackcurrant mix and set aside.

For the meringue, whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Gradually whisk in half of the sugar, a spoonful at a time.

Then whisk in the cornflour, then the rest of the sugar and whisk until the meringue mixture is thick and glossy.

Pour the blackcurrant filling into the pastry case and smooth. Put the pie as it is in the oven for 5 minutes to heat the filling. Remove and spoon the meringue onto the hot filling - spread mixture so that it touches the surface of the filling, then bake for about 20 minutes until the meringue is crisp and lightly golden.