Mince Pies
Little shortcrust pies filled with spiced, brandied fruit, warm from the oven and dusted with sugar. Despite the name there is no meat in them, just centuries of Christmas.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Mince Pies, in 5 ideas
- The pastry should be short, not flaky. A crumbly, tender shortcrust that shatters gently is the whole point; keep it cold and handle it little.
- Jarred mincemeat is fine, woken up is better. A spoonful of brandy, fresh orange zest and a little grated apple stirred in takes ten seconds and tastes homemade.
- Fill generously but seal carefully. A heaped teaspoon per pie and dampened, pressed edges keep the bubbling juices where they belong.
- A star on top beats a full lid. It looks festive, vents the steam, and gives a better pastry-to-filling bite.
- Serve them warm, never hot. Ten minutes out of the oven the filling stops being lava and the spices open up.
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup lard or more butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 to 6 tbsp ice water
- 1 3/4 cups mincemeat
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
How to make it
Method
Rub the butter and lard into the flour, sugar and salt until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the yolk and just enough ice water to bring it together into a dough. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Stir the mincemeat with the brandy, if using, and the orange zest. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin or tart tin.
Roll the pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut twelve 3 1/2 inch rounds and press them gently into the tin. Re-roll the scraps and cut twelve 2 1/2 inch rounds or stars for the lids.
Fill each case with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat, not quite to the rim. Dampen the pastry edges, set the lids or stars on top, and press lightly to seal. Brush with beaten egg.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the filling bubbles at the edges. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out carefully with a small knife.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm, with brandy butter or a little cream if you like. Leftovers keep 3 days in a tin and refresh in a low oven.
Freeze the unbaked, filled pies right in the tin; once solid, bag them. Bake from frozen at the same temperature for 25 minutes and nobody will ever know.