Raspberry meringue pie recipe

This gorgeous sweet and sharp pie is a delicious change from the usual lemon version. With a buttery base, a sharp fruity filling and a crunchy sweet top, this pie scores high on both flavour and texture. Kids and adults will love this brightly coloured dessert meaning you won't have to fuss around thinking of two things to make if you're having family friends over. Serve wedges of pie by themselves for a simple dessert or dress it up with fresh berries and softly whipped cream to make it even more impressive.

Ingredients

• 375g pack sweet shortcrust pastry
• 400g raspberries, fresh, or thawed from frozen
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 125g caster sugar
• 4tbsp cornflour
• 3 egg yolks
• 50g butter
• 3 egg whites
• 175g caster sugar

You will also need:

• 20cm  fluted flan tin

Method

1. Line the flan tin with the pastry, prick the base with a fork and chill for at least 20 minutes.
2. Set the oven to 200°C/392°F/Gas Mark 6 and put a baking sheet inside. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Place the tin on the hot baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Lift out the parchment with the baking beans and return the flan case to the oven for 3-5 more minutes, or until it’s a light golden colour and cooked through.
3. Turn the oven temperature down to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark
4. To make the filling: Tip the raspberries into the bowl of a food processor, add 150ml (½pt) water and whizz to a purée. Strain mixture through a sieve into a saucepan, discarding the seeds. Stir the lemon juice and caster sugar into the mixture and whisk in the cornflour.
5. Place the pan on the hob and stir until the sugar dissolves, increase the heat and bring to the boil, beating well to avoid lumps as the cornflour thickens. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the butter. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and spread it out evenly.
6. To make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in the caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, to give a meringue. Spoon on top of the raspberry mixture, and spread it out carefully, swirling it into peaks, taking care not to press out too much air.
7. Return the pie to the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the meringue has set and is just starting to tinge in colour, then remove from the oven.
8. Leave the pie to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.