Serves: 4

Did you tune in to The Great British Bake Off this week? Mary and Paul challenged the bakers to make the classic British dessert, Queen of puddings. Fancy staging your own technical challenge at home? Here's our version for you to try – let us know how you get on!

These individual puds have a rhubarb purée as their middle layer, but this can be substituted for a layer of your favourite jam if you prefer – use 2-3 tbsp per pudding and reduce the sugar to 75g for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 450g rhubarb
• 25g root ginger, grated
• 150g caster sugar
• 350ml whole milk
• 25g butter, plus extra for greasing
• zest of 1 lemon
• 90g white breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, separated
• icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Trim the rhubarb and cut it into 3cm chunks. Scatter in an ovenproof baking dish with the ginger and 75g of the sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
2. Drain the rhubarb, reserving the juices, then whiz half of the rhubarb chunks with the juices; toss with the remaining rhubarb chunks.
3. Heat the milk, butter, lemon zest and 25g of the sugar in a pan to simmering point. Remove from the heat.
4. Whisk the breadcrumbs into the milk mixture, then the egg yolks. Divide between 4 x 200ml buttered heatproof dishes. Bake for 20 minutes or until set.
5. Divide the rhubarb equally between the puddings, spreading it over the breadcrumb layer.
6. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in the last 50g of sugar to make a glossy meringue. Top the puddings with the meringue and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden and set. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve.