RECIPE: Christmas Mincemeat and Mince Pies
Who doesn’t love a Christmas mince pie? You know it’s officially Christmas when you can smell maturing mincemeat! Why not make your own mincemeat this year? It’s simple and as you are making it yourself, you know exactly what goes into it. Here’s our foolproof recipe for the mincemeat and for some buttery pastry to make delicious melt in the mouth mince pies.
MINCEMEAT
INGREDIENTS
- 450g/1 lb raisins
- 450g/1 lb currants
- 225g/½ lb candied peel
- 225g/½ lb finely chopped vegetable fat e.g coconut
- 450g/1 lb finely grated cooking apples
- 450g/1 lb sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1½ teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 250ml/8ozs brandy or rum
METHOD
- 1. Mix all the ingredients together well.
- 2. Pack into jars that have been well washed, rinsed and dried in an oven.
- 3. Seal well.
- 4. Mincemeat needs a few weeks to mature and can be kept for ages
PASTRY FOR CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES
INGREDIENTS
- 450g / 1 lb plain flour
- 85g / 3 oz caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 250g / 9 oz unsalted butter
- 4 or 5 egg yolks
- mincemeat: use as much as required
METHOD
- 1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
- 2. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- 3. Add 4 egg yolks and work together thoroughly to form a smooth dough. If the mixture seems too dry to come together, add another yolk. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- 4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and press out small balls of pastry into mince pie tins, keeping the pastry as thin as possible.
- 5. Using an appropriate-sized cutter, cut out tops to fit the pies. These can be small and decorative, or larger to cover the entire top of each mince pie.
- 6. Drop a spoonful of mincemeat into each pastry base but do not overfill.
- 7. Place a pastry lid on each pie. These can be forked in place if they cover the entire mince pie top. Prick gently to release steam when baking.
- 8. Alternatively, simply pop a shaped piece over pastry over the mince pie, e.g. a star.
- 9. Chill again for at least 30 minutes before baking
- 10. Preheat your oven to 200ºC / 400ºF.
- 11. Bake the pies in the hot oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- 12. Sift a little icing sugar over the top of the pies before serving.
If this has got you in the mood for Christmas baking, why not try our recipe for Christmas Cake – it makes a beautifully flavourful fruit cake.
Category
Recipes
