ULTIMATE MINCE PIES
It isn’t Christmas without a melt in the mouth homemade mince pie! This classic treat is a great addition to your festive baking list.
Follow our step-by-step guide to making your own ultimate mince pies.
This recipe makes approximately 12 mince pies.
INGREDIENTS
250g cold butter, cubed
390g plain flour
110g golden caster sugar
300g mincemeat
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
1 small egg, beaten
icing sugar, to dust
LET’S BAKE…
Rub the butter into the flour, adding the golden caster sugar with a pinch of salt. Bring the pastry into a ball, kneading briefly. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
To make the pies, the simplest way is to press a small walnut-sized ball of pastry into each hole of the 12-hole pie tin. Alternatively, you could roll the pastry out and use an appropriate round cutter, either way ensure that there are no holes on the base of the pastry.
Add the optional brandy to your mincemeat and mix well. Fill each base with around one large teaspoon of the mixture. Taking a slightly smaller ball of pastry pat it out to form round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with the lids, pressing the edges together gently to seal.
Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in their tin for a further five minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Finish the pies off with a dusting of icing sugar.
We don’t expect them to last long, but if you’re making these as gifts they will keep for three to four days in an air tight container.
