[from seasonal cooking by claire macdonald of MACDONALD] freezes for up to three weeks serves 8 75g butter, hard from fridge 125g plain flour 25 g icing sugar for the filling: 15g gelatine 300ml milk 3 eggs, separated 125g caster sugar 1 rounded tsp cornflour (white thickening stuff) 1 level tsp nutneg 6 Tbsp rum (we used brandy) 300 ml double cream, lightly whipped

Blend the butter, flour and icing sugar together in a food processor until they are well mixed and look like bread crums, then press lightly into a 20--23cm flan dish. Place in the refridgerator for 30 minutes, then bake 'blind' in a moderate oven, 180 C until cooked and golden. Leave to cool. (This crumbled into tasty biscuit shards and we used pre-bought cases instead) Sprinkle the gelatine over 3 Tbsp cold water and leave to soak. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just beings to form a skin. Beat together in a bowl the egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour and grated nutmeg. Pour a little of the hot milk on to the yolk mixture, stir well, then pour the contents of the bowl into the suacepan with the rest of the mot milk. Over a very gentle heat indeed, stir until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon, but do not let it boil or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and stir in the soaked gelatine; stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved in the hot custard, then stir in the rum. Leave the rum custard to get completely cold, when it will begin to set. Then gently stir in the whipped cream. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, fold them into the creamy rum custard, and pour the lot into the baked pastry case. Leave until set, freeze uncovered until the top is form, then cover. It will take about 5--6 hours to defrost. Serve with grated chocolate sprinkled on top.