This week we begin a few recipes aimed at Christmas entertaining, and we start with the classic mince pie, or rather an exciting twist on the original which I’m sure you’ll adore.

I can’t think of many households in which there won’t be a plate of mince pies at some point over the next few weeks.

Christmas pudding’s not for everybody, turkey may be too big or perhaps even too traditional, and for many homes, the threshold will never be breached by the Brussels sprout. All dismal, grey and joyless homes, of course, but each to their own.

However, few can resist the allure of the mince pie; that sweet golden pastry, almost too crumbly to contain the pleasure within, and then the sweet, sticky fruit within, perhaps touched with a hint of warming spices and the tang of candied peels.

There is little better of a warm afternoon around Christmastime, than nibbling away at a brace of mince pies in front of an old movie and a warm fire. So I thought I’d like to do a mince pie recipe for the first Christmas-themed article, and had the perfect one in mind, stored away in my files since this time last year.

These mince pies are a take on the original idea I pinched from the talented Neil Rankin, whose restaurant, Smokehouse in Islington is a haven to those seeking big platefuls of massively tasty food.

It’s a place where everything on the menu appeals, and is cooked with intelligence and care.

Neil uses Kouign-Amann pastry for his mince pies, but I reckon this is because he pays a loyal chef to take the time to do it in an easily-cleaned pastry kitchen. As we’ve seen before, the classic buttery French Kouign-Amann pastry is incredible, delicious stuff, but a proper bugger to make, especially at this busy time of year.

Puff pastry works just as well, and yields smashing results, so don’t feel guilty; I certainly don’t!

What makes these pies work so well is the combination of the rich, luscious fruit with the buttery pastry, the tang of fresh tart apple, the seductive caress of the alcohol and, above all, the salty, savoury whoomph of the crispy bacon.

The idea of putting bacon with sweet things isn’t new; pork has long had an affinity with fruit, from the classic pork and prunes dish from the Armagnac region in France, to the boiled ham and candied fruits enjoyed in Italy around this time of year. And in the US, where crispy bacon on top of maple-syrup pancakes has been fashionable for decades, it now features heavily in all manner of pastries and cakes.

You can’t move for candied bacon brownies and piggy muffins. There is a delightful balance between the sweet, the savoury and the salty that I find hard to refuse, and this mince pie takes the idea and runs with it.

Of course, the mincemeat we now buy by the ton at Christmas wasn’t always just fruit, sugar and spices. The inclusion, to this day, of beef suet (though often it’s vege suet now) gives us a clue – in fact back as early as the 16th seen as a way of preserving meat, and was often a mixture of fruits, alcohol, vinegar, and beef.

People decided they liked the sweetness, and it evolved over time to slowly reduce the meat content, to the point where only the fat was required as a preserving aid. So if you think about it, this very modern mince pie is closing the circle on a long historical food journey, as well as providing a deeply decadent, slightly boozy mince pie - squishy, crunchy and absolutely irresistible.

FOR THE MINCE PIES:

2 x 400g packets ready-rolled puff pastry

2 jars top-quality mincemeat

300g streaky bacon

1 small Bramley apple, peeled and grated

150g toasted chopped hazelnuts

100g dried cherries

1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg

FOR THE SAUCE:

200g butter

200g unrefined light Muscovado sugar

200ml double cream

A big splash of good-quality bourbon

EXTRAS:

Muffin tins

Butter for greasing

Wire rack

METHOD:

Heat the oven to 170oC / Gas 3. Butter the muffin tins well. Dice the streaky bacon as small as possible, and fry in a dry pan until crisp and golden. Drain and pat gently with kitchen paper to remove as much excess fat as possible. Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface, and spread the mincemeat evenly all over.

Sprinkle the mincemeat with the crispy bacon, the grated apple, and then dot with the dried cherries. Finish with the toasted chopped nuts and a dusting of the spices.

Carefully roll the pastry into a tight sausage shape, and chill for half an hour to set a little. Cut the roll into slices about 5cm thick, and place into buttered muffin trays, pushing them down to fit perfectly.

Bake for 20-30 mins, or until they are crisp-edged and bubbling. As the mince pies bake, make up the sauce; melt the butter, sugar and cream together in a pan over gentle heat, whisking together until smooth.

Add a hefty splash of bourbon to taste, plus a little pinch of salt to accentuate the flavours, and remove the pan from the heat. Unmould the pies as soon as they’re cooked, and set on a wire rack.

Drench each pie with a good spoonful of sauce and allow it to soak in. Repeat this process a couple more times, then allow the pies to set a little before serving.

They are perfect with a good cup of black coffee, but would also make a rather good dessert warmed gently and topped with a scoop of your favourite vanilla ice-cream.