The Bakinglady 

When I was young, we used to make the filling for lemon meringue from a little box , I think it was made by a company called Greens but I couldn't swear on it. You added the water to a sachet in a small saucepan and cooked over a low heat until a little gelatine capsule burst , filling the kitchen with mouth watering aromas of zesty lemon. This yummy pud was a real weekend treat and remains one of my all time favourites, although now I wouldn't dream of using  packet mix when freshly made is far superior.... 

What you need

225g plain flour

175g butter

45g  icing sugar

pinch salt

1 egg, beaten

For the lemon filling

6 lemons, zest and juice

65g  cornflour

250g caster sugar

6  egg yolks

30g butter

For the meringue topping

4  egg whites

225g caster sugar

2 tsp cornflour

Pre-heat the oven to  160c for a fan assist oven 180C/350F/Gas 4.

First make the pastry. Put the flour , salt and butter into a large bowl  and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar, egg and one tablespoon of water and using a fork, mix until combined to a ball.

Tip the pastry onto a work surface and roll out to a 3mm thickness. Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry up and transfer it to line a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed flan tin. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the side then cover in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Take the pastry-lined tin out of the fridge and line with parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for about 15 minutes , trim the excess pastry off then remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 140c  for a fan assisted 170C/340F/Gas 3½.

For the filling, mix the lemon zest and juice with the cornflour and stir to form a smooth paste. Measure 450ml/16fl oz of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon cornflour mixture to the hot water and stir over the heat until the mixture has thickened, then remove from the heat. Add the butter

In a bowl mix together the sugar and egg yolks and carefully whisk into the lemon mixture in the pan. Stir over a medium heat until thickened. Set aside for a few minutes and then pour into the baked pastry case.

For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl over a pan of hot water until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the caster sugar a little at a time, still whisking until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Add the cornflour and whisk again.

Spoon or pipe on top of the filled pastry case and spread the meringue to completely cover the lemon filling. 

Bake in the oven for approximately  20 minutes until the meringue is lightly golden and crisp. 

Serve hot or cold