Mince Pies

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Dice all the cold butter (225 g) and rub it into all the plain flour (350 g). Mix in all the golden caster sugar (100 g) and the pinch of pastry salt.

   Uses 225 g cold butter, diced · 350 g plain flour · 100 g golden caster sugar · 1 pinch salt for the pastry

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring the actual pastry mixture together into a ball and knead briefly. Do not add liquid: the dough should be fairly firm, like shortbread dough.

   Uses All the prepared crumbly pastry mixture

3. 3

   Step 3: Use the dough immediately for this batch. Have two twelve-hole patty tins ready; eighteen holes will be filled, and part of the dough must be kept for the lids.

   Uses The full combined pastry ball

4. 4

   Step 4: Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Press small walnut-sized pieces of the prepared dough into eighteen patty-tin holes to make the bases; keep the remaining dough aside for the lids.

   Uses Enough of the same dough to line eighteen holes; reserve the rest for lids

5. 5

   Step 5: Divide all 280 g sweet fruit mincemeat among the eighteen pressed pastry bases.

   Uses All eighteen pastry bases; keep reserved lid dough aside · 280 g sweet fruit mincemeat for mince pies

6. 6

   Step 6: Divide the reserved dough into eighteen slightly smaller pieces and pat them between your hands into round lids large enough to cover the filled pies.

   Uses Only the remaining dough reserved for eighteen lids

7. 7

   Step 7: Cover every filled base with a prepared lid and gently press the pastry edges together to seal. The pastry sticks without milk or egg at the seam.

   Uses All eighteen mincemeat-filled bases · All eighteen prepared lids

8. 8

   Step 8: Beat the small egg (1 small) and brush it over the tops of the sealed pies. Bake at 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6 for twenty minutes, until the pastry is golden.

   Bake sealed mince pies until golden · 20 minUses All eighteen sealed pies · 1 small egg for brushing the pie tops

9. 9

   Step 9: Leave the baked pies in their tins for five minutes, then carefully lift them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

   Cool baked mince pies in their tins · 5 minUses All eighteen baked pies

10. 10

    Step 10: Lightly dust the cooled pies with icing sugar and serve. The batch makes eighteen pies.

    Uses All cooled finished mince pies · Icing sugar to dust the finished pies