This super shortcrust pastry melts in the mouth.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

• 175 g/6 oz plain flour, sifted
• 28 g/1 oz cocoa powder
• 140 g/5 oz unsalted butter, cubed
• 40 g/1½ oz ground almonds
• 40 g/1½ oz icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water
• 900 g/2 lb ripe peaches
• 55 g/2 oz caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon flaked almonds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5. Put the flour, cocoa, butter, almonds and icing sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water and process until the mixture forms a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add a little more water if necessary.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Take two third of the pastry and roll out thinly on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Use the pastry to line a 23-cm/9-inch tart tin with a removable base. Peel, halve, stone and slice the peaches and place in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon and cornflour and stir well until the fruit is coated evenly.

Spoon the peach mixture into the pastry base. Roll out the remaining pastry and using a fluted pastry cutter, cut 2.5 cm/1 inch wide strips. Weave across the top of the pie to create a lattice topping. Brush the ends with a little cold water to fix in place. Trim the ends to neaten.

Brush the pastry lattice with milk, sprinkle over the flaked almonds and cook for 40 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.