Chocolate meringue pie

Preheat the oven to 425.

Beat the chilled dough with the rolling pin to soften it without warming the butter, then roll to about an eighth of an inch, keeping it moving and flouring lightly.

Roll the dough onto the pin and unroll it over the pie plate, leaving an overhang. Let it slump into the corners rather than stretching it, and press it firmly against the plate.

Trim to about a half inch of overhang, tuck the excess under itself inside the lip, and crimp, pressing outward and down to anchor it.

Freeze the shell about 10 minutes to harden the butter.

Press heavy duty foil into the cold shell and tent it over the edge, fill with pie weights, and bake at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes until the crimped edge looks set.

Remove the weights by gathering the foil, drop the oven to 325 and bake another 25 minutes or so until the bottom is golden brown all across - low and slow to limit shrinkage.

Put the milk, salt, vanilla paste and half the brown sugar in the saucepan and bring slowly to a gentle simmer.

Whisk the other half of the brown sugar with the malted milk powder and the cornstarch, breaking up any lumps.

Put the chopped chocolate and the butter in a large bowl and set the strainer over it.

Once the milk is hot, whisk the yolks and whole egg into the sugar and starch mixture until lightened - blanching the eggs. Do not add them early or the egg will harden.

Temper: pour about two thirds of the hot milk mixture into the eggs slowly while whisking, then scrape everything back into the saucepan.

Whisk constantly and bring to a visible boil so the cornstarch reaches full thickening; it will hold the marks of the whisk.

Kill the heat and pour immediately through the strainer onto the chocolate and butter. Let sit 30 seconds to a minute, then stir smooth.

Pour the warm pudding into the baked shell and smooth the surface; warm gives a smoother fill than set.

Press plastic onto the surface to stop a skin forming while the meringue is made.

Put the oven back on 425 for the meringue.

Put the egg whites, salt and brown sugar in the mixer bowl and set it over simmering water; stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and it registers 160 on a thermometer.

Whip in the stand mixer, starting slow and building speed, to stiff peaks, then beat in the vanilla for a few seconds.

Dollop the meringue into the centre and spread it out, anchoring it to the crust edge so the filling is fully covered.

Add the rest of the meringue on top and work it into peaks and swooshes; the peaks are what take the colour.

Bake at 425 about 12 minutes until the peaks colour and it puffs slightly.

Blast briefly under the broiler, watching it constantly, for darker spots.

Cool and release the steam before refrigerating, then chill until fully set - longer than the three and a half to four hours used here.