'Panforte' pies

• mixed shelled and blanched nut↗140g g

  such as pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds and cashews

• pack ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry↗375g g
• plain flour↗

  for dusting

• butter↗50g g
• dark brown muscovado sugar↗50g g
• dark maple syrup↗3 tbsp tbsp
• good-quality chocolate↗50g g

  (70% cocoa), chopped

• egg↗1

  beaten

• zest ½ orange
• soft dried fig↗50g g

  chopped to a paste in a food processor

• cinnamon↗½ tsp tsp
• whipping cream↗150ml ml
• icing sugar↗1 tbsp tbsp

  plus extra to dust

• Cointreau↗1 tbsp tbsp

  or other Christmassy booze

• zest ½ orange

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toast the nuts on a small baking tray for 5-8 mins until golden. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and stamp 12 circles with a 7.5cm plain round cutter. Use to line the wells of a 12-hole bun tin. Chill until step 3. (You will only use around half of the pastry.)

2. 2

   Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and chocolate together in a small pan, then beat in the egg, orange zest, figs and cinnamon. Stir in the toasted nuts.

3. 3

   Spoon the nutty mixture into the pastry cases and bake for 18-20 mins until the pastry is pale golden. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then remove to a rack until just warm. Whip the cream with the sugar and booze, then dust the pies with a little icing sugar and finish with a dollop of cream and a scattering of orange zest just before eating. Good with strong coffee or mint tea.