Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F and grease a 12 hole cupcake tray with a little butter.

Place the flour and the cubed butter in a mixing bowl and rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. (You can do this in a food processor if you prefer!)

Slowly add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture just starts to come together. Use your hands to form the mixture into a ball, but take care not to overwork the dough.

Wrap the pastry dough in clingfilm (or similar) and place in the fridge until needed.

Next, place the softened butter into a mixing bowl together with the caster sugar. Beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again, then add the vanilla extract (if using) and the ground almonds, and stir to combine. This is your frangipane.

Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and roll out until it is a little bigger than your cupcake tray.

Carefully cut out circles of pastry with a fluted cutter that is 8cm (3¼inches) in diameter. Place the pastry circles in the prepared cupcake tray.

Next place 2 teaspoons of mincemeat in each pastry case.

Cover the mincemeat with 1 tablespoon of frangipane and scatter with a few flaked almonds.

Place the mince pies in your pre-heated oven and cook for 18-20 minutes until brown on top and cooked through.  (The frangipane should spring back slightly when you press it down lightly with a finger – take care not to burn yourself, though!).

Leave the mince pies to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack.

Finally, dust the mince pies with a little icing sugar (US – confectioner’s sugar).

Serve the mince pies warm or cold, on their own or with custard / cream / ice-cream.