Traditional Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding with Custard vs Tangy Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

Both desserts lean on sugar, butter, eggs and cornstarch, yet they arrive at very different places. The treacle pudding is a creamed butter sponge steamed for up to two hours, then turned out so the golden treacle from the base of the basin crowns it, while its cornflour goes into a warm vanilla custard thickened with egg yolks; lemon appears only as an optional sliver of zest. The lemon meringue pie puts citrus at the centre: cornstarch and yolks set a tangy filling enriched with butter, and the whites are whipped into a glossy meringue baked golden over a pre-baked crust.