Bocconotti abruzzesi

Step 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp lemon zest in a bowl. Rub in 4 oz unsalted butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

Step 2: Add 2 eggs and press together quickly into a soft dough. Common mistake: kneading it like bread, which develops the gluten and makes the pastry tough instead of crumbly.

Step 3: Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill until firm.

Step 4: Meanwhile, toast 3 ½ oz blanched almonds in a dry pan over a medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant. Cool, then grind finely.

Step 5: Melt 3 ½ oz dark chocolate (60–70%) in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, then stir in the ground almonds, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 ⅞ oz grape jam or cherry jam and 2 tbsp orange juice to a thick, spreadable paste.

Step 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 12-hole bun or small tart tin.

Step 7: Roll two-thirds of the pastry out on a floured surface to 4 mm thick. Cut 12 rounds a little larger than the holes and press them into the tin.

Step 8: Fill each case with a heaped spoonful of the filling, up to just below the rim.

Step 9: Roll out the remaining pastry and cut 12 smaller lids. Lay them on top and pinch the edges firmly to seal.

Step 10: Bake until pale golden and firm to the touch.

Step 11: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack, domed side up. When cold, dust heavily with 2 tbsp icing sugar.