Christmas Mince Pies
quick and easy make your own mince pies
Servings: 24
Equipment
- 1 large heavy based saucepan a preserving pan or stock pot is ideal
- 1 fine grater
- 2 12 hole bun tins
- 1 circular pastry cutter plain or fluted, I used an 88mm round
- 1 star pastry cutter
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Mincemeat
- 225 g Bramley apples prepared weight
- 100 g shredded suet
- 500 g prepared dried fruit soaked in brandy if you can't get pre-soaked fruit use dried mixed fruit and soak in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brandy overnight
- 170 g soft dark brown sugar
- 1 orange rind and juice
- 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) brandy
Pastry
- 450 g plain flour plus extra for rolling
- 30 g icing sugar plus extra for dusting
- 250 g butter
- 1 egg
- 30 ml water
Instructions
Mincemeat
- Peel and core the Bramley apples and chop into small pieces.
- Remove the rind from the orange and squeeze out all the juice.
- Place all ingredients except for the brandy into the large pan and heat gently over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the suet has melted completely.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally until completely cold.
- Stir in the brandy and transfer the mincemeat to an airtight container. Store in the fridge until ready to make the mince pies.
Pastry
- Place the flour and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour and sugar until there are no lumps remaining and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Crack the egg into a jug and add the water then stir this into the flour/butter mix. Stir gently until the mixture starts to bind together, adding a little extra water if necessary. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and bring together with your hands until you have a smooth ball of soft, but not sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a plastic bag and leave aside to rest for a couple of hours, or place in the fridge overnight.
To make the mince pies
- Roll out the pastry to an even thickness of a couple of millimetres. Cut out circles and gently press them into your bun tin.
- Spoon in some mincemeat until barely level with the top of the pastry - don't overfill otherwise it will spill out when baking.
- Cut out stars and place on top of the mincemeat.
To freeze
- Place the entire bun tin in the freezer and freeze overnight until solid.
- Remove the tin from the freezer and gently tap or drop onto a solid work surface to release the mince pies. Place the mince pies in an airtight container or bag and seal and return to the freezer for up to three months.
To bake
- Preheat the oven to 160C (fan). Remove the mince pies from the freezer and place in the bun tin. Bake for approx 30 minutes until very light golden in colour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, dust with icing sugar and serve!