Jan Smuts tartlets

Step 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and 1 ¾ oz icing sugar in a bowl and rub in 5 ½ oz butter until it looks like fine crumbs.

Step 2: Stir in 1 egg and press the dough together into a disc. Wrap and chill until firm.

Step 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter two 12-hole patty tins.

Step 4: Roll out three-quarters of the pastry to 3 mm and cut 24 rounds with a 7 cm cutter. Line the tins. Roll the rest and all the trimmings very thin and cut 48 strips about 4 cm by 5 mm for the crosses.

Step 5: Put half a level teaspoon of 4 oz apricot jam into each case.

Step 6: Beat 3 ½ oz butter and 3 ½ oz caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in 2 eggs one at a time with ¼ tsp almond extract.

Step 7: Fold in 2 ⅛ oz ground almonds, 2 ⅛ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder, then loosen with 2 tbsp milk to a soft dropping consistency.

Step 8: Spoon the batter over the jam until each case is two-thirds full, then lay two pastry strips across each one in a cross.

Step 9: Bake until the sponge has risen, springs back when pressed and is golden, and the pastry edges are lightly browned.

Step 10: Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a rack. They keep for 3 days in an airtight tin.