Welcome to the Keeping House recipe section. From time to time we’ll be presenting classic recipes to add a little inspiration to your cooking. Below is our first offering, so watch this space for more. Enjoy!

1. Lemon Meringue

The Lemon Filling
3 level tablespoons cornflour
75g/3oz caster sugar
Finely grated rind and juice of 3 lemons
225ml of water
Yolks of 3 large eggs
30g/1oz butter

The Meringue Topping
Whites of three large eggs
75/ 100g/3 to 4oz caster sugar
2 level tablespoons granulated sugar

The Base
Roll out the pastry and line a 23cms/9inch lightly buttered flan tin.
Prick well all over,  line with baking parchment and weigh down with baking beans. Bake just above the centre of hot oven( 220 centigrade) for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and return to oven and bake for a further 15 minutes (or until crisp and golden) remove from oven and cool.

To make the filling, put cornflour,sugar and lemon rind into a basin. Mix to a smooth paste with a little of the cold water. Heat the rest of the water with the lemon juice. Combine with the paste and return to pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring untilthe mixture comes to the boil and thickens simmer for 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and butter, cook for a further minute then pour into the flan case.

Meringue Topping
Put egg whites into a very clean dry bowl. Beat until stiff and forms into peaks (when the bowl is turned upside down the whites should stay where they are). Gently fold in the caster sugar with a large metal spoon. Pile meringue over the lemon making sure that no lemon is showing and then sprinkle With granulated sugar. Cook very slowly at 110 centigrade (225 Fahrenheit/gas mark ¼) for 1 and a half hours or until Meringue is firm crisp and golden.