Sift the flour and icing sugar into a large bowl.,

Chop the butter into cubes, then, using your fingertips, gently work it into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (or use a food processor, if you prefer).,

Beat the eggs with the vanilla, then use a fork or your hands to gently mix it into the flour mixture until it forms a ball of dough – add a dusting of flour if it feels too wet.,

It’s important not to work the pastry too much at this stage or it will become elastic and chewy; we want it to be crumbly and short.,

Cut the dough in half and either use straight away or wrap well and pop into the fridge or freezer for another day (up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer).,

At this stage, you can turn the pastry into anything you wish. You can cook it free form, roll it out to line pastry cases, blind bake it and freeze, or use the cases to create something delicious.