Make the pastry: In a large bowl, tip the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs — you'll see small, pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. This is what gives the pastry its flaky texture. Add the ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and stir with a fork until the dough just clumps together. You should feel it come away from the sides of the bowl, but it shouldn't feel wet.

Chill the dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together into a disc. Wrap it tightly in cling film and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The dough will feel firm and cold to the touch when it's ready to roll. This resting step is non-negotiable — it relaxes the gluten and prevents shrinkage during baking.

Preheat and prep the tins: Heat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Lightly butter a 23cm pie dish and a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. While the oven warms, take the chilled dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Roll each piece out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm. You'll see the dough is smooth and not sticky, and it should lift easily with a palette knife.

Line the tins: Gently drape one piece of rolled dough into the pie dish and the other into the tart tin. Press the dough into the corners without stretching it — if you stretch it, it will shrink during baking. Trim the edges with a sharp knife, leaving a 1cm overhang. For the pie dish, crimp the edges with your fingers; for the tart tin, just roll the rolling pin over the top to cut off the excess. Prick the bases all over with a fork. You'll see the small holes you've created, which allow steam to escape.

Blind bake the pastry: Line each pastry case with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 12 minutes. The pastry edges will look set and just starting to colour. Remove the parchment and beans, then bake for another 5 minutes. The bases will look dry and lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the fillings.

Make the pumpkin pie filling: In a medium jug, whisk together the pumpkin purée, double cream, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin spice, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth — you'll see a uniform, glossy orange colour with no streaks of egg white. Pour this into the blind-baked pie shell.

Make the apple tart filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin wedges, about 5mm thick. In a bowl, toss the apple slices with the caster sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornflour. You'll notice the apples look glossy and the sugar has started to draw out their juice. Arrange the slices in concentric circles over the blind-baked tart base, pressing them down gently.

Bake both pies: Place the pumpkin pie on the middle shelf and the apple tart on the shelf below. Bake the pumpkin pie for 40–45 minutes. You'll know it's done when the edges are set but the centre still has a slight wobble — like a firm jelly. The surface will be matte, not shiny. Bake the apple tart for 35–40 minutes. The apples will be tender when pierced with a skewer, and the edges of the tart will be deep golden brown. The kitchen will smell of warm spices and caramelised fruit.

Glaze and cool: For the apple tart, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan until it becomes runny. Brush it over the hot apples. The glaze will turn them a beautiful, shiny amber colour. Let both pies cool completely on a wire rack. The pumpkin pie needs at least 2 hours to set properly — don't rush this, or your slices will be sloppy.