Coming from a "pudding and dumpling" kind of family, it is amazing that The Lizard's most famous pasty maker has not turned into something of a dumpling herself.

The secret is plenty of exercise, according to Ann Muller of Ann's Famous Pasty Shop fame, who is set to appear on a national television programme with her mother Hettie Merrick and celebrity chef Paul Rankin.

Ann and Hettie were invited onto The People's Cookbook to share their favourite family recipe with veteran chef Paul Rankin and their episode was due to be shown last night on UK Food.

But rather than initiate the star in the art of crimping Cornish pasties, they got him making a scrumptious Queen of Puddings.

Ann, who grew up in Gunwalloe, where her mother still lives, explained: "We've always been a pudding and dumpling kind of family. Lemon meringue pie, treacle tart, clotted cream - that's what my childhood was about. That's what great British food is about."

But that didn't mean they were allowed to pile on the pounds.

Ann continued: "Not that we weren't skinny kids. Every Sunday we were sent off to chapel, a two-mile walk there and back, and at Sunday school we spent most of time running around shouting and throwing paper aeroplanes. By the time we got home we were ready for some stodge."

Ann and Hettie are among 60 domestic cooks appearing in the first series of The People's Cookbook, which features recipes supplied and selected by the Great British public.

Helston Packet readers now have the chance to appear in the second series of The People's Cookbook and may even get their recipes into a glossy recipe book accompanying the series.

Anyone interested in taking part can submit their own original recipe to the UKTV Food website on www.uktvfood.co.uk with a few lines explaining what makes the dish so special. The deadline for entries is March 31.