21
Dec
Dec
Why-Buy-Mince-Pie Recipe
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Why buy Mince Pies when you can have great fun making them whilst singing along to some top Christmas songs in your kitchen (and possibly annoying the neighbours). Our Marketing and Communications Crew member, Kathryn, shares her simple step-by-step guide on how to make them – what could go wrong?
Shopping list
- 225g of butter, diced
- 350g of plain flour
- 100g of (caster) sugar
- 280g of mincemeat
- milk
- Icing sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180oC for a fan oven or 200oC for a normal oven.
- Rub the diced butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add in the sugar and a pinch of salt (optional).
- Combine this mixture into a ball and knead until the dough is firm.
- Grease a cup-cake tray.
- Sprinkle your work surface with extra flour and roll the pastry dough out with a rolling pin.
- Cut out enough circles to fill the cup-cake tin. These will make the base for your Mince Pies.
- To make the lids for the Mince Pies, either cut out a smaller circle to cover the top of the pies, or alternatively if you’re feeling creative, cut out Christmassy shapes to place on top (i.e. Stars, Christmas Trees, Bells…).
- Press the circle bases into the cup-cake tray and spoon a small amount of mincemeat into each case. Be careful: don’t over fill the pies as this may cause a mincemeat explosion during the baking.
- Press either a lid or a shape on top of each pie and brush with a little milk.
- Place the tray in the oven, which should have hopefully have heated up by now – unless you have my oven in which case leave it for a couple of hours!
- Bake in the oven for around 20mins or until the pastry has turned golden brown.
- When ready, take out the oven and place on a cooling rack (or an upturned oven shelf which works just as well) and dust with a little icing sugar.
- Leave to cool and serve either on their own or with a little cream/ brandy cream.
These Mince Pies will last for around 5-7 days in a container but can also be frozen and defrosted as needed. Why not invite friends over and enjoy a classic Christmas Movie (I recommend The Muppet Christmas Carol) with some of your stunning, home-baked Mince Pies?
Ready, Steady, … BAKE!!!
