Bay and vanilla crème brûlée custard tart with poached pears

In a large bowl, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and then stir through the icing sugar.

- Melanie Johnson

Method

1. Add the egg yolk and cold water and mix until it comes together and forms a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm (8in) tart tin. Trim off the excess dough, prick the base with a fork and then freeze for 15 minutes.

4. Blind bake the tart case by adding scrunched up parchment paper (so it fills the corners) and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, brush with beaten egg and bake for a further five minutes. This step ensures the base is sealed, so the filling won't make it soggy. Set aside.