Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

Preheat the oven to fan oven 160°C /180°C/350°F/Gas 4

Make the pastry base: weigh the flour and salt into the food processor and pulse to mix. Alternatively weigh it into a mixing bowl and stir to mix.

Add the cold, cubed butter and, either using the pulse function on your food processor, or using your fingertips, rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Add the sugar and pulse or stir to mix.

Finally add the egg yolk and pulse until the mixture just comes together. Alternatively, mix the egg in by hand. Do not over mix.

Tip the mixture out of the food processor or mixing bowl and push, rather than knead, gently with your hands to bring the dough together. Kneading stretches the gluten in the flour and will make your pastry tough, so handle it as little as possible.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

After one hour, take the pastry out of the fridge and, using a coarse grater, grate it directly into the baking parchment lined baking tin.

Use your fingers to press the grated dough into an even, flat layer on the base of the tin, making sure it goes into all the corners. Prick all over with a fork.Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Mincemeat and apple: as the base cooks, prepare the toppings. First, peel the apple, cut into quarters and remove the core. Grate it using a coarse grater. Tip the mincemeat and apple into a mixing bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

Frangipane: beat the butter with an electric whisk until soft. Add the sugar and salt and beat again until light and fluffy.

Next add the egg and beat again.

Finally, fold in the ground almonds.

Now, put it all together: when the pastry base has been cooking for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and decrease the oven temperature to fan oven 150°C/170°C/325°F/Gas 3.

Cover the pastry with the mincemeat mix and top with the frangipane, making sure you spread it into the corners.

Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, cover loosely with foil and cook for a further 15 – 25 minutes, or until cooked. It is cooked when the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.

Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes and then transfer, in the baking parchment, to a cooling rack.

When cold, cut into 16 squares and serve.

This delightful slice works as well served with a cup of tea, as it does for dessert, warmed and served with cream, ice cream or custard.