Instructions: Line 4 individual fluted tart tins with shortcrust pastry, bake blind and cool.

Apple puree; peel core and slice the bramley apples. Stew gently together in a heavy based pan with the water, sugar and zest until the apples fall to a froth./ Cook to drive off any excess liquid until a thickish puree is formed. Stir in the Calvados and check amount of sugar. The puree should be fairly tart to counteract the sweetness of the pastry cream.

Pastry cream; split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the cream. Add the pod as well. Bring the cream to the boil. Blend yolks, flour, cornflour and sugar together. Gradually whisk cream onto blended yolks. Return to rinsed pan and cook gently, stirring all the while until the mixture has thickened and the flour is cooked out.

Top the surface with buttered greaseproof paper or clingfilm to prevent a skin forming.

Apple topping; peel, core and thinly slice the Coxs orange pippins.

Heat the water, sugar and butter until dissolved. Bring to the boil.

Add apple slices and cook gently for 2-3 minutes to soften and coat with the buttery syrup. Fill the bases of the tarts with pastry cream. Add a tablespoonful of Calvados apple puree. Scatter with half the blueberries. Top the filling with overlapping apple slices and the remainder of the blueberries. Dredge with icing sugar. Bake in a hot oven, 220C, for 7-8 minutes until the edges of the apple have taken on a deep golden caramel colour. Top with a tiny bay leaf and dredge gently with sieved icing sugar again.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.