Ingredients

• 1 unwaxed grapefruit
• zest and juice only
• 1 free-range egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 100g/3½oz sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 heaped tbsp cornflour
• 50g/1¾oz soft butter
• cubed
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• very soft but not melted
• 75g/2¾oz sugar
• a generous pinch of salt
• ½ unwaxed lemon
• zest only
• 2 egg yolks
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 100g/3½oz sugar
• 2 egg whites (roughly 60g/2¼oz)
• pinch of salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Directions

• To make the grapefruit curd
• measure 90ml/6 tbsp of grapefruit juice into a pan and whisk together with the zest
• sugar
• salt and eggs over a gentle heat. Sift in the cornflour and continue to whisk. Don’t stop whisking at any point
• otherwise the eggs will curdle.
• Once the curd is as thick as puréed tomatoes and has released a bubble or two
• take it off the heat and whisk in the butter a cube at a time. Pour into a bowl and cover with clingfilm
• placing it in direct contact with the curd to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate for at least an hour (best overnight).
• To make the biscuit base
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and butter six 8x5cm/3x2in metal dessert rings.
• Cream together the butter and sugar with the salt and lemon zest until fluffy and pale in colour. Add the egg yolks and continue to beat.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together
• add to the creamed mixture and continue beating until the dough comes together as a smooth paste.
• Put the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle.
• Pipe the dough into the rings in a spiral working from the outside towards the centre until the base is completely covered by a 3–4mm layer
• then pipe a ring round the edge to create a little dip for the curd to sit in. Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden (but not too dark).
• Remove the biscuit base from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes before running a small sharp knife around the inside of each ring to release the biscuit. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack (be careful as they’re fragile) and leave to cool.
• To make the meringue
• put the sugar into a pan with 40ml/1fl oz water and place on a high heat. Bring to the soft-ball stage (118C on a sugar thermometer) which will take about 10 minutes. To test without a thermometer
• drop a tiny bit of sugar syrup into a bowl of very cold water. When it forms a soft sticky ball
• it is ready.
• While waiting for the sugar syrup
• start whisking the egg whites with the salt in a clean glass or metal bowl. Whisk until a light froth forms
• stopping before any soft peaks can be formed. Once the sugar syrup has reached the soft-ball stage
• beat the egg whites at the same time as pouring the syrup onto them in a thin stream. (Don’t pour the syrup over the whisk
• but down the side of the bowl.) Add the pepper and continue to whisk for 10 minutes or until the egg whites are glossy and stiff.
• To assemble
• place a generous tablespoon of the grapefruit curd on top of the biscuits
• followed by the meringue. Either place under a very hot grill for a couple of minutes or use a blowtorch to brown.