MINCEMEAT LATTICE TART

We love a mince pie but we think this lattice tart is even better – the surprise disc of marzipan inside makes it special. We prefer to use a metal tin, rather than a ceramic one, and heat up a baking tray to put it on so the underside cooks well.

Serves 6-8

For the pastry

150g (5½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

150g (5½oz) ground almonds 150g (5½oz) caster sugar

150g (5½oz) chilled butter, cut into cubes

1 egg, beaten

For the filling

200g (7oz) marzipan 500g (1lb 2oz) mincemeat Milk, for brushing

Icing sugar, for dusting Cream, to serve

First make the pastry. Put the flour, almonds, caster sugar and butter in a food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the egg and whizz until it forms a ball of dough. Remove the dough from the processor – it will be very soft – and wrap it in clingfilm. Chill. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 and put a baking tray in the oven to heat up. Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide into one-third and two-thirds. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the two-thirds of pastry to line a 25cm flan tin. Dust the work surface with more flour and roll out the marzipan into a round that will fit inside the pastry case. Put the marzipan in the case and cover with the mincemeat.

Roll out the remaining pastry and cut it into strips. Use the strips to make a lattice design on top of the mincemeat. Or, if you like, cut out different shapes such as stars and use them to cover most of the mincemeat. Brush the pastry with milk. Place the tart on the baking tray in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Dust the tart with icing sugar and serve hot or cold, with some cream in a little jug.