Ingredients

• icing sugar
• for dusting (approx. 20g/¾oz)
• 500g/1lb 2oz shortcrust pastry
• 150g/5½oz cherry jam
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 free-range egg
• lightly beaten
• 100g/3½oz icing sugar
• sifted
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 20g/¾oz toasted flaked almonds

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line two large baking trays with baking paper.
• Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the pastry to a 30x35cm/12x14in rectangle. Place the pastry on one of the prepared baking trays and cut right down the middle lengthways
• giving you two long equal rectangles. Now make three cuts widthways to give you eight equal rectangles. Place in the fridge.
• Put the jam in a bowl
• add the nutmeg and mix. Add 1 teaspoon of jam to one side of each pastry piece
• avoiding the edges. Brush the edges with the beaten egg and fold over the other half of the pastry. Press down the edges with a blunt knife to seal. This is crucial unless you enjoy flowing molten lava jam!
• Do the same with the remaining seven pastries and place on the other prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the egg and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Bake the pastries on the middle shelf of the oven for 20–25 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.
• For the almond icing
• put the icing sugar
• 1½ tablespoons of water and the almond extract in a bowl and mix to a smooth paste. Cover the tops of the cooled pastries with the icing and sprinkle with the almonds.