Queen of Puddings

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) and grease a 20cm pie dish.

2. In a saucepan heat the butter, milk, cream, vanilla bean paste and 10g of golden caster sugar gently, until almost boiling. Stir occasionally to avoid the mix burning.

3. Place the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and then pour over the warm mixture. Leave the breadcrumbs to soak for 20 minutes to absorb the liquid.

4. Stir in the lemon zest, juice and beaten egg yolks, then spoon the mix into the base of the pie dish.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the base is set, then leave to cool.

6. Once the pudding is cool, spread a layer of warm jam over the top.

7. To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites until they reach a soft peak, then slowly add the remaining caster sugar. This should turn your meringue soft and glossy.

8. Pipe the meringue over the jam and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the meringue turns golden brown. Serve warm.