Preheat the oven to 170 degree/325 F. Oil a 900 ml/ 1 1/1 pint baking dish. and reserve. Mix the breadcrumbs and sugar together in a bowl. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat gently with the butter and lemon rind until the butter has melted. Add the vanilla essence & stir well. Allow the mixture to cool a little, then pour over the breadcrumbs. Stir well and leave to saok for 30 minutes.Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled breadcrumb mixture and pour into the prepared dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until firm and set. Remove from the oven. ( If you don't want topping, you can stop at this stage. Once the pudding is cooled, keep in fridge and serve cold)

Allow to cool slightly, then spread the jam over the pudding. whisk the egg whites until stiff and standing in peaks. Gently fold in the caster sugar with a metal spoon. Pile the meringue over the top of the pudding. Return the dish to the oven for a further 20 -25 minutes, or until the meringue is crisp and just slightly colored. Serve hot or cold.