Rose, Lychee and Raspberry Fruit Tart

STEP 1: MAKE THE ROSEWATER PASTRY

Pulse the plain flour and icing sugar in a food processor, then add the cold salted butter and blitz to fine crumbs. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and rose water until the dough balls up. Chill briefly (a 10-minute freezer chill works well). Roll out to 2–3 mm, line the flan tin leaving an overhang, fill with scrunched baking paper and baking beans, and blind bake at 200°C for 15–20 minutes until it just takes colour. Trim and cool. Bake the case fully now – a pale, underdone base will let you down.

STEP 2: MAKE THE LYCHEE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

Heat the milk. Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour until smooth and light, whisk in the hot milk, then return everything to the pan and whisk over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Off the heat, rest for 10 minutes, then stir in the butter and chopped lychees. Dust the surface with icing sugar to stop a skin forming, cover and chill for at least 1 hour – it must be properly cold to hold a flat layer.

STEP 3: MAKE THE MINI MACAROONS

Combine the ground almonds, icing sugar and a little red food colouring. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Boil the caster sugar and water to 118°C and pour into the whites in a thin stream while whisking to a stable meringue. Fold in the almond mixture, pipe 2 cm rounds, and rest for 30 minutes to form a skin. Bake at 180°C for about 12 minutes. Discard any macaron that grows a tail.

STEP 4: MAKE THE CRÈME MASCARPONE

Whisk the egg and caster sugar in a bowl set over simmering water until frothy and just too hot for a fingertip. Add the raspberry liqueur, rose water and agar-agar flakes and keep whisking to a ribbon – do not let it scramble. Cool the bowl in iced water, whisking, then whisk in the mascarpone. Chill. The agar is what lets the top hold its shape under warm lights, so do not skip it.

STEP 5: MAKE THE JAM GLAZE AND GLAZE THE FRUIT

Mash one punnet of raspberries and sieve into a pan. Cook for 5 minutes, add the caster sugar and boil to setting point (use the chilled-saucer wrinkle test). Cool, then paint each remaining raspberry with the glaze and let them set on baking paper.

STEP 6: MAKE THE PRALINE

Toast the roughly chopped whole almonds in a dry pan until evenly golden. Make a medium-dark caramel with the caster sugar and pour it over the nuts on baking paper. Cool, then smash into shards and dust.

STEP 7: ASSEMBLE

Pipe the cold lychee crème pâtissière into the pastry case and smooth flat. Lay the glazed raspberries in straight parallel lines, one raspberry’s width apart. Pipe small swirls of crème mascarpone in the gaps, crown every third swirl with a mini macaroon, and scatter the others with the caramelised almonds. Keep it precise – this is a window-display bake.