Mince pies are one of those bakes that are always best when homemade. If you can take the time to make up some mincemeat early in December you can then easily whip up a batch of mince pies when you fancy.
First up make your mincemeat. I particularly like this recipe, it's simple to make, vegetarian and doesn't require suet.
Ingredients:
- 175g Currants
- 175g Raisins
- 175g Sulatanas
- 175g Dried Cranberries
- 100g Mixed Peel
- 1 Bramley Apple
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 100ml Orange Juice
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer over a low heat until all the juice has been absorbed - you want to be left with a thick brown sauce coating all the dried fruit.
Pastry Ingredients:
- 200g Plain Flour
- 50g Ground Almonds
- 140g Cold, Chopped Butter
- Grated zest of 1 Orange
- 1 Egg Yolk
- In a food processor blitz together the flour, almonds, butter, orange zest and sugar until it resembles bread crumbs - this can be done by hand - rub the butter into the dry ingredients
- Add the egg yolk and a teaspon of cold water and pulse until it forms a dough
- Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes
- Roll out the pastry until it's nice and thin - about the thickness of a pound coin
- Cut out 7.5cm rounds
- Place the discs of pastry into a bun tin that has been lightly greased with butter or oil
- Put a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case
- Add a lid or a festive star to each pie
- Brush the tops with the beaten egg white
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6
- Cool in the tins for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack
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