Basic shortcrust pastry:

The golden rule for making shortcrust pastry is to keep the ingredients and pastry as cool as possible. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor!

Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and chilled water and pulse again until the pastry just comes together. Turn the pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a smooth ball. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C.

Carefully roll out the dough and press into a greased tart tin/dish. Trim the edges and prick the base all over with a fork to minimise shrinkage.

Line the pastry with baking paper and cover with baking beans or dried chickpeas. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before gently removing from the pan.

Tart filling:

Bring the cream and vanilla to a simmer (just before boiling) in a saucepan then remove from the heat.

Whisk the sugar, egg yolks and flours together until thoroughly incorporated. Pour a third of the warmed cream over the egg mixture, while whisking vigorously.

Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the cream and continue to whisk constantly over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens and easily coats the back of a spoon, being careful not to let it burn on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the custard filling from the heat and cover the surface directly with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool and place in the fridge until needed.

Fill the cooled tart shell with the custard filling and top with raspberries (or any fruit of your choice). Sieve over a light dusting of icing sugar to garnish, and serve.

Tips:

• For a silky smooth finish to your tart, whisk the cooled crème patisserie filling until smooth before using.
• If you want to use full cream milk instead of fresh cream, then just be sure to add an extra teaspoon of cornstarch to the ingredients