Classic mince pies
It's not Christmas without a mince pie. Making your own shortcrust pastry is easy and investing in decent shop-bought mincemeat makes all the difference
- Total:
- Serves: 12 persons
Ingredients
- 350g plain flour, plus more for rolling out
- 225g cold butter, diced
- 10 ½tbsp icing sugar, plus more to serve
- 500g jar mincemeat
- 1orange, zested
- 1granny smith or other green apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 1egg, or 2 tbsp milk, to glaze
Instructions
Step 1
Put the flour, butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3 tbsp cold water and pulse again until it forms a ball. If the mix is dry, add more water 1 tsp at a time. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.Step 2
Mix the mincemeat with the orange zest and apple. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until 3-4mm thick.Step 3
Using a 10cm pastry cutter or glass, stamp out 12 discs of pastry. Then, using a 7-8cm cutter, stamp out 12 smaller rounds for the pastry lids. Re-roll if needed.Step 4
Put the larger circles into the dents of a 12-hole muffin tin and press into the sides. Add about 1½ tbsp of the mincemeat into the middle of each one (don't overfill or they will leak when cooking) and brush some of the egg or milk around the pastry edge. Add the lids, and press to seal the pastry together. Glaze with more egg or milk, and cut a small hole in the top of each.Step 5
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes in the tins before loosening with a knife around the edges. Serve warm or cool completely and keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.