It’s Pies and Tarts week in the Bake Tent and after last week’s Bake Alaska incident, the bakers will all be keeping a keen eye on their bakes, especially if they have to use the fridge in the preparation process.

For their signature bake, they must bake a family size custard tart with flavours to capture the imagination. They produce ‘rhubarb and custard’, ‘chocolate and coconut’ to a ‘tropical Manchester tart’ (a tart with tropical flavours made by a Mancunian).

For the technical challenge, it is one of Paul’s more unusual recipes; mini pear pies. The dessert consist of a perfectly poached pear surrounded by spirals of ruff puff pastry baked until golden brown.

The pears must be poached in a poaching syrup consisting of white wine, sugar, orange zest and cinnamon. This challenge turned out to be quite bewildering for some of the bakers.

The ingredients for the rough puff pastry are: 200g plain flour, plus extra for rolling, 100g butter, in a block, frozen, 100g lard, in a block, frozen, 1 free-range egg, beaten, 2 tbsp granulated sugar.

For the poached pears: 6 large, firm pears, 300g caster sugar, 500ml dry white wine, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 orange, zest only.

In the final challenge, the bakers must bake three-tied pies. In just four hours they must create a towering collection of pies from any pastry or pastries they like.