Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

I made this over the holidays for New Year’s Day lunch but it would be delicious at any time of the year. I had a jar of mincemeat leftover from Christmas and some roasted quince in the freezer but you can just as easily use apple or diced apple and pear instead. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes divine with a scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream.

• 1 pack of Jus-Rol ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 1/2 jar of your favourite mincemeat. I used Waitrose No 1 Brandy mincemeat with Cognac VS. If you have plain mincemeat, add a tbsp of port or brandy to pep it up
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Braeburn dessert apples (I used roasted quince from the Sept harvest)
• 1 cooking apple
• 1 tbsp marmalade

To make…

• Unfurl the pastry and lay it flat on a baking sheet. Lightly score a rectangle 3cms away from the edge of the pastry and prick the inner rectangle evenly with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Peel and chop two of the Braeburns and the cooking apple into bite-sized pieces. Cook gently with a tbsp of sugar and a splash of water. The cooking apple will turn into a puree but the eating apple will retain its shape.
• Preheat the oven to 220C.
• Take the pastry out of the fridge. Add a generous covering of the mincemeat over the base. Go into the corners but not into the 3cm edge. Cover with the apple puree. Slice the remaining apple into thin slices and layer over the top. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with caster sugar.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry edge is risen and golden.
• Transfer to a serving board and allow to cool slightly.
• Warm the marmalade with a splash of water to make a glaze. Use a brush to glaze the pastry edges and the apple slices on top. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream or ice cream. You could whip a little leftover brandy butter into the cream if you have any.

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