Chocolate Meringue Pie

Chocolate meringue pie

ingredients

225g/8oz dark chocolate digestive biscuits
25g/1oz butter, melted

For the filling
3 egg yolks
50g/2oz caster sugar
50g/2oz cornflour
600ml/1pt milk
100g/4oz dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

For the meringue
2 egg whites
100g/4oz caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Serve 6

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
Put the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl. Stir the butter into the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm/9in flan tin or dish.
To make the filling, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl until they form a smooth paste, adding a little of the milk if necessary. Heat the milk until almost boiling, then slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking well.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the melted chocolate into the mixture in the saucepan. Pour the mixture into the digestive biscuit base.
To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until standing in soft peaks. Gradually whisk in about two-thirds of the sugar until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and the vanilla essence. Spread the meringue over the filling.
Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

Chocolate meringue pie

ingredients

Serve 6

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
Put the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl. Stir the butter into the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm/9in flan tin or dish.
To make the filling, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl until they form a smooth paste, adding a little of the milk if necessary. Heat the milk until almost boiling, then slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking well.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the melted chocolate into the mixture in the saucepan. Pour the mixture into the digestive biscuit base.
To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until standing in soft peaks. Gradually whisk in about two-thirds of the sugar until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and the vanilla essence. Spread the meringue over the filling.
Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm.