1-Step 1: Make the Pastry Cream together 225g softened butter and 4 tbsp icing sugar until light. Beat in 2 egg yolks and ½ tsp vanilla extract, then mix in sifted 350g plain flour, 2 tbsp cornflour, and ¼ tsp fine salt, kneading lightly to form a dough. Wrap the dough and chill it for 15 minutes to make it easier to handle.

2-Step 2: Prepare the Tart Base Roll the pastry to 0.7cm thickness and line a 24cm tart tin with it, fixing any cracks with leftover dough. Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and baking beans, and blind bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the beans, repair any cracks, and bake another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Let it cool before adding the filling.

3-Step 3: Prepare the Filling For the filling, cream 80g butter and 85g brown sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add 2 eggs, one at a time, then stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 100g sifted flour, ¼ tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp spiced rum (if using), and a pinch of salt. Fold in 20g desiccated coconut, 20g chopped crystallised ginger, and all the dried fruits and nuts like 50g chopped dried apricot, 50g dried mulberry (if using), 100g chopped dates, 50g chopped blanched almonds, 50g chopped Brazil nuts, and 50g chopped walnuts.

4-Step 4: Bake the Tart Pour the filling over the baked pastry base and level it out. Bake for 35-40 minutes until cooked through. Allow it to cool before serving, as this helps the flavors settle. For enhanced pastry results, consider blind baking with bottom heat at 180°C for 10-12 minutes, as mentioned in the recipe notes.