Ingredients

Pastry:

175g chilled unsalted butter

250g (+1tbsp) plain flour

1tbsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

2-3tbsp ice cold water

Frangipane:

125g butter, room temp

125g caster sugar

2 eggs, room temp

125g ground almond

30g plain flour

Pies:

12tsp mince meat

Method

1. Cut the butter for the pastry into cubes, toss with 1tbsp of plain flour and put in the freezer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining flour, sugar & salt to a food processor & pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse to form a breadcrumb-like texture. (See the note if you are making the pastry by hand)
3. Add in the egg yolk & blend to combine. Then add the water in small amounts, blending to form a dough that sticks together when squished in your hand. You want to add as little water as possible to reach this stage, so add it in stages.
4. Tip the dough onto a work surface and kneed very lightly until it just comes together to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. In the meantime, make the frangipane. Beat the butter & sugar together. Then add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.
6. Add the ground almonds and sift in the flour and stir to combine
7. Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan
8. Remove the pastry from the fridge & cut in half, return half to the fridge.
9. Roll the other half out on a lightly floured surface to just under 0.5cm thick. Cut into rings big enough to line your muffin tin.
10. Push the pastry disks into the tin. Use a small ball of pastry offcuts to push the dough into the bottom of the tin & into the edges. Squish any offcuts together & return to the fridge
11. Repeat with the other half of dough & any offcuts (don’t re-roll the dough more than once, after this it’ll start to get tough).
12. Once all 12 holes are lined, start on the filling. Spoon in 1tsp of mince meat into the base of each pastry case & spread to an even layer. Spoon on ~1tbsp of frangipane on top & spread flat (this should be very close to the top of the pastry case)
13. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden.
14. Dust with icing sugar & serve warm with heaps of double cream

Note: To make your pastry without a food processer, combine the flour, salt & sugar in a bowl. Add in the ice cold butter and rub with your fingers to form a breadcrumb texture. Add in the egg yolk & stir with a palette knife until combined, then add water in small amounts & stir to form a dough that sticks together when squished.