Day 2 Mince Pies
Mince pies are Christmas in a shortcrust loveliness. My first batch of mince pies in December celebrates the start of the festive season. When you take the mince pies out of the oven, the smell of spices and warm freshly cooked pastry is wonderful.Follow this easy recipe and pop a batch in the freezer for Christmas Day.
You Will Need -
150grams self raising flour
75grams butter
Pinch of salt
Juice of one orange
1 jar of good quality mince meat
1 circular pastry cutter
1 star cutter
Tart tins
Makes 16 pies
Go Create
Making your pastry needs a bit of time to make it perfect, the time really is for it to stand in the fridge and chill to make it a real shortcrust and melt in the mouth texture.Stand the butter at room temperature for a few hours before you start the pies. Rub the flour, salt and butter through until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the orange juice until the mixture comes together when stirring with a spoon.
Once the pastry is able to be handled, bring together, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Use the freezer if you are in a hurry!
Take your pastry out the freezer and with a floured board roll out the pastry until thin so your pies are light and crispy.
Pastry is no big art, as long as you have half fat to flour and a liquid to bind it, make sure you chill it and you are on your way. No years in France are needed to train to make straight forward pastry, just a bit of time to rub through and chill before you make it up.
Grease the tart tins with a little butter, Gran used to save the wrappers off the butter to do this job but now I use greaseproof paper!Cut out your tart and press into the tin and spoon the mince meat into the pies so that there is enough bubbling over room.
Cut out your stars and then with water around the edges stick the stars onto the pies.
Optional is glaze with a egg yolk to make your pies golden.
Cook for 20 minutes at 175C or similar until golden.
Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.
You can pop a few in the oven and serve warm with a Sherry or two. Christmas in a crust!
