Little Passion Pies

Mix the flour with the almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt. Form into a mound on the work surface and make a well in the centre. Tip the egg yolks and sour cream into the well. Distribute the butter around the edge of the flour. Using a large knife, chop all the ingredients until crumbly. Knead briskly with both hands to form a smooth dough. If necessary, add a little cold water or flour. Form into a ball, wrap with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for around 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C in a fan oven), 350°F, gas 4 and grease the moulds with butter.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the rested pastry out to a thickness of about 2-3 mm. Cut out heart shapes and line the base and sides of the moulds. Prick the bases several times with a fork and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and take out of the moulds.

For the crème: bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla sugar. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until creamy, mixing the cornflour in at the same time. Slowly pour the hot, but no longer boiling, milk in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture, stirring it through. Pour all of the mixture back into the pan. Stir constantly over a low heat until the first signs of boiling, and then take off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.