Christmas mince pies
I use an all-purpose shortcrust pastry for my pies, although many cooks may prefer to use a sweet shortcrust.
Ingredients
Pastry
180g unsalted butter
240g plain flour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
Mincemeat2.5kg new season's crisp eating apples, peeled and cored and chopped in the food processor
375ml apple juice
500g seeded raisins
500g currants
500g grated beef suet (weighed after grating, you should order 750g)
750g soft brown sugar
500g mixed peel
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
100ml brandy, plus extra brandy
Method
Mincemeat
Place all the ingredients in a stockpot and bring to the boil. Simmer for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Spoon directly into hot, sterilised jars, splash a little extra brandy in each jar and seal. Store for at least one year.
Pastry
Combine flour, salt and butter in a food processor until the mixture is like biscuit crumbs. Add water and give one or two pulses until the dough comes together. Tip onto bench, knead quickly to make a cohesive ball of dough, flatten it into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour.
Roll out on a floured surface. Cut out rounds for the bottoms and smaller rounds for the tops of the pies. Allow extra diameter to allow a little shrinkage. Chill shapes for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Line a tartlet tin with the bases. Fill generously with mincemeat . Brush edges of the pies with a little water, cover with tops and pinch edges to seal firmly. Make a small slit in the centre for steam to escape and brush the pie surface with the yolk whisked with the salt.
Place pies in the oven and after 10 minutes lower the temperature to 180C. Bake for a further 20-25 minutes until a rich golden brown. Slip the pies from the tins and cool on a cake rack. When cold through, store in an airtight cake tin.
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