Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Mix the mincemeat, orange zest, bourbon or orange juice, ground almonds and cherries together in a medium bowl.

Unravel the pastry on its baking parchment and stamp out as many circles as you can using an 8cm round cutter. Re-roll the offcuts and stamp out more circles until all the pastry has been used (you should get about 14 in total). Spoon 1 tsp of the mincemeat mixture into the middle of each circle, leaving a 2cm border. Gently fold the edges of the exposed pastry inwards to slightly cover the filling.

Transfer the pies to the lined baking sheet, spaced slightly apart. Brush the pastry with the milk and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 18-20 mins until golden brown, then leave to cool slightly.

While the pies cool, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in 20-second bursts in the microwave, or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl isn’t touching the water. Drizzle over the pies before serving. Will keep in an airtight container for three days.