Pear and Blackberry Crumble with Bay Leaf Custard

Prepare the bay leaf custard: Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until just broken up. In a saucepan, combine the milk and golden caster sugar over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is almost boiling. Add the bay leaves, remove from heat, and let infuse for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Briefly reheat the milk until steaming, then slowly pour a small amount into the egg yolks while whisking. Return the yolk mixture to the pan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve and set aside to serve warm or chilled.

Make the crumble topping: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, jumbo oats, pumpkin seeds, flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts, ground cardamom, ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Pour the melted unsalted butter over the dry ingredients and mix well until the mixture forms clumpy crumbs.

Prepare the fruit filling: Lightly butter a large ceramic baking dish. In a medium pan over low heat, combine the sliced pears, muscovado sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and a knob of butter. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring gently, until the pears release their juices and soften slightly without falling apart. Transfer the pears and half of the cooking juices into the prepared baking dish, then scatter the blackberries evenly among the pear wedges.