Crème patisserie tart with berries

Ingredients: For the sweet pastry:

170g plain flour 90g butter 30g icing sugar cold water to bind For the crème patisserie:

600ml whole milk 4 egg yolks 110g caster sugar 45g plain flour 45g cornflour ½ tsp good quality vanilla extract 300ml double cream selection of berries to decorate: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries (pitted).

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Prepare the sweet pastry by adding all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the pastry comes together. Add only a teaspoon of cold water at a time, which is just enough to bring the dough together.

Empty out onto a lightly floured board and gently bring the dough together. Roll out into an even round, large enough to line a 25-cm flan dish.

Place some greaseproof paper in the centre of the pastry and fill with ceramic baking beans, then blind bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, make the crème patisserie. Heat the whole milk in a saucepan until it just comes to the boil. Leave to one side. In a mixer, using the whisk attachment, mix the egg yolks and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Slowly add a little milk along with the plain flour and cornflour and beat thoroughly. Add the remaining milk gradually, until you get a smooth consistency.

Place the mixture into a saucepan and heat, whisking continuously to stop lumps from forming. The sauce will thicken and once boiling take off the heat. Add the vanilla extract and stir. Cover with a lid and leave to cool.

Once the sauce has cooled down, whisk until completely smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream and gently fold in the sauce. The crème patisserie is ready.

Carefully pour the crème patisserie into the cold sweet pastry case. Then decorate at will with the berries of your choice. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.