Queen of desserts

Serves eight

2 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

finely grated rind of 1 orange

4 eggs, separated

1 2/3 cups fresh bread crumbs

pinch of salt

6 tbsp orange marmalade

Cook's Tip

If you prefer a crisper meringue bake the dessert in the oven for an extra 5 mins

Variation

Substitute the same quantity of fine sponge cake crumbs for the bread crumbs and use raspberry, strawberry, or a apricot preserve instead of orange marmalade.

1 Grease a 6-cup/1.5-liter oven proof dish with a little butter.

2 To make the custard, heat the milk in a pan with butter, 1/4 cup of superfine sugar, and the grated orange rind, until just warm.

3 Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Gradually pour the warm milk over the eggs, stirring constantly.

4 Stir the bread crumbs into the pan, then transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, and let stand for about 15 minutes.

5 Bake in a preheated oven, 350 F/180 C, for 20-25 minutes, until the custard has just set. Remove the dish from the oven, but do not turn the oven off.

6 To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites with the salt until they stand in soft peaks. Whisk in the remaining sugar, a little at a time.

7 Spread the orange marmalade over the cooked custard. Top with the meringue, spreading it right to the edges of the dish.

8 Return the the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, until the meringue is crisp and golden.