Orchard Meringue Pie

Serves 6 – 8, preparation 20 minutes, baking 1 hour

300g/10½oz plain flour

200g/7oz salted butter

230g/8oz caster sugar

1 egg yolk

3 egg whites

1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

3 cooking apples, cored peeled and thinly sliced

3 dessert apples, cored peeled and thinly sliced

3 pears, cored peeled and thinly sliced

A cup of blackberries

200g/7oz light brown sugar

Pre heat your oven to Gas Mark 5/180C/375F and grease a 10 inch deep loose bottomed pie tin. To make the butter pastry, rub together the flour and butter between your finger tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 60g of caster sugar and egg yolk and mix to form a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, roll out the pastry and line the pie tin. Cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 10 minutes until the pie crust is golden. Remove from the oven, add the thinly sliced apples, pears and blackberries in alternate layers, sprinkling the light brown sugar between each layer. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the fruit is soft. Whilst the pie is cooking, prepare the meringue topping. Simmer a little water in a small saucepan. Place the egg whites and 170g of caster sugar in a heat proof bowl and place on top of the saucepan. It is important that the bowl does not touch the water. Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites and sugar for about 5 minutes until they form stiff peaks. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cinnamon and whisk for a further 4 – 5 minutes. Place the meringue in a piping bag with a large star nozzle attachment and pipe stars of meringue over the fruit. If you do not have a piping bag, simply spoon the meringue over the fruit and shape into smooth peaks. Bake in the oven for a further 40 minutes until the meringue is cooked. Serve warm or cold with double cream.