Ingredients:

1 jar of homemade mincemeat

1 quantity of sweet pastry

 

For the Frangipane:

100g, butter, softened

100g, caster sugar

2 eggs

100g ground almonds

1 tbsp plain flour

1/2 tsp almond extract

A handful of flaked almonds

Apricot jam, to glaze

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

2. To make the frangipane, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. add the eggs and beat again on high, then fold through the ground almonds, flour, almond extract and a pinch of salt.

3. Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface, use a cutter to cut out rounds, roughly 6.5cm wide. Use these circles to line a cupcake tin, fill each case with roughly a teaspoon of mincemeat, then top with the frangipane mixture. The mixture does not need to be smoother out flat as it will spread in the oven, be careful not to overfill, (i always manage to!) Sprinkle a few flaked almonds on each of the mince pies. 

4. Bake in the oven for 15 mins, but keep an eye on them as they can over brown very quickly. Once cooked remove from the tin and allow to cool on a rack. 

5. Warm the apricot jam in a pan, then brush a little over each warm mince pie to glaze. These mince pies are best served warm.