100 g butter
100 g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 level tbsp plain flour
150 g ground almonds
Half tsp almond essence
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat the oven to 450ºC. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour, ground almonds and almond essence.

Cut a 27-cm round from one sheet of pastry, rolling it as necessary. Put it on to a large baking tray and brush round the edge with egg yolk, then fold over one cm all the way round to make a double edge. Spread the filling evenly on to the pastry. Cut a 25-cm round from the second sheet of pastry, brush round the edge of the cake with egg yolk, lay the pastry over the filling and seal the edges together well.

Using the tip of a sharp kitchen knife and without cutting right through, draw parallel lines over the surface, first one way, and then the other. Brush the cake all over with the egg yolk and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 180ºC and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.