1. To make ice-cream, place milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Remove vanilla bean. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until well combined, then whisking continuously, gradually add hot milk mixture to yolk mixture and whisk gently to combine. Transfer to a clean saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon; don’t boil mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Place in a sink one-third full with iced water and cool, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Churn in an ice-cream maker until frozen, adding crème fraiche just before it reaches freezing point. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 3 hours or until very firm.

2. To make puff pastry, combine flour, salt and water in a bowl until mixture comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Roll out dough into a 10cm x 30cm rectangle. Place ⅓ of the butter in the centre. Fold one short end into middle, over butter, then fold opposite end over the top (butter should now be enclosed in dough). Turn dough 90 degrees and fold in half. Roll into a 10cm x 30cm rectangle. Repeat folding process. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding process two more times with ⅓ of the butter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding process a further two times with remaining ⅓ of the butter, refrigerating for another 30 minutes at the end. Dough should be folded and rolled six times in total.

3. Using a teaspoon, remove core and seeds from top halves of apples.

4. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease and line four 10cm-round loose-based flan tins.

5. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface until big enough to cut out four 10cm-rounds.

6. Stir sugar and brandy in a large frying pan over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens (without boiling). Add butter and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add apples halves. Cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until apples start to soften. Cool for 5 minutes.

7. Place apple halves, stalk-side down, in prepared tins. Spoon 1 tbs of sauce over each. Top with pastry rounds, tucking in around apple.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden. Stand for 5 minutes.