This is a classic revived. Dead easy to make and so versatile – it’s a great option for tea at a birthday party or dessert after a meal. You can also make small individual ones and pack them for a picnic.

Here’s what goes in:

• 2 large pears, (I seriously use any kind – even the pears that are on their way out make a good tart)
• 2 large apples, (a can of pie apples works well too)
• Half a cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

For the base and crust:

• 125g softened butter
• Half a cup of castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of cake flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Flaked almonds for the top crust

How to do it:

For the filling: core, peel and slice the apples and pears. Place them in a saucepan together with the rest of the filling ingredients and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the sauce is thick and gooey. Remove the cloves and set this aside to cool.

Now make the pastry. Beat the softened butter and sugar together. Add the egg and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients to this mixture and combine to form a soft dough. Press half of the dough into a 23cm pie dish. Place the other half of the dough in the freezer so it hardens a bit. Spoon the pie filling onto the pastry and later, roughly grate the remainder of the pastry over the top. Sprinkle some flaked almonds over the top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160°C for about 45 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown.