Mini Almond Topped Mince Pies

Preparation

• 1
  To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a large cool bowl then mix in the salt and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop it into the bowl, then rub it in quickly and lightly with your fingertips until it reaches the breadcrumb stage. Make a well in the middle, add a little cold water at a time [I used two and a half tablespoons altogether] and use a knife to combine it with the flour mixture until it begins to come together. Finally, use cool hands to form the dough, wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
• 2
  Preheat the oven to 190 degrees or 170 degrees fan oven. Lightly grease each hole in a 24 hole mini muffin tin.
• 3
  To make the almond topping, beat the softened butter then add the sugar and ground almonds, spoon in the almond extract and beat again. Beat the eggs in a small bowl then add to the mixture and whisk in well. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to chill.
• 4
  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry thinly then cut out 24 rounds with a circular cutter about 6cm in diameter. Drop each round into a hole in the mini muffin tin and press in gently. Carefully put almost a teaspoon of mincemeat into the bottom of each pie. Spoon almond topping on top of the mincemeat right up to the top of the pastry, levelling it off roughly with a knife, then sprinkle a few flaked almonds onto the top of each pie. Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is risen and brown and the pastry is cooked.
• 5
  Leave the pies in the tin for a few moments when you take them out of the oven, then carefully lift them out onto a cooling rack. Once they have cooled down, sprinkle with icing sugar.
• 6
  They are at their very best eaten still warm from the oven, but you can store them in a sealed tin and keep them for several days.