British · Dessert
Mince Pies
Traditional British Christmas pastries featuring sweet shortcrust pastry filled with spiced mincemeat and topped with pastry lids. These festive treats are dusted with icing sugar and are an essential part of British Christmas celebrations.
The Method
Instructions
Alright, let's start by making that lovely pastry. Take 225 grams of cold, diced butter and gently rub it into 350 grams of plain flour . Use your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks a bit like fine breadcrumbs. This step is key to getting that crumbly, tender texture we all love. Next, stir in 100 grams of golden caster sugar along with a good pinch of salt,this little touch of salt really helps bring out the sweetness and balances the flavors beautifully.
Now, gather all the mixture together into a ball. Don't add any liquid here, just gently bring it all together. Give it a quick knead, but only briefly,just enough to make sure everything is combined. The dough will feel quite firm, a bit like shortbread dough, which is exactly what you want. If you're not ready to bake just yet, no worries; you can pop the dough into the fridge to chill for later. It keeps well and this resting time can actually help the pastry relax, making it easier to roll out.
Next up, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (gas mark 6, or 180 degrees fan) . While that's warming up, grab two 12 hole patty tins and line 18 of the holes by pressing small walnut sized balls of your pastry into each one. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry up the sides and into the corners, making sure it's evenly distributed. This helps form those lovely little pie cases that will hold all that delicious mincemeat filling.
Once your pastry shells are ready, spoon about 280 grams of mincemeat into each one. Don't be shy here; fill them up nicely, but leave a little room at the top so you can seal them properly later without any spillage.
Now, take slightly smaller balls of pastry than the ones you used for the bases. Pat them out gently between your hands to make round lids, just big enough to cover each pie. It doesn't have to be perfectly uniform,homemade charm counts here! Place each lid over the filled pies and press the edges gently together to seal. You don't need to use milk or egg to stick the lids on; the dough is naturally sticky enough to do the job. If you want to freeze them for later, this is the perfect time. Wrapped well, they'll keep in the freezer for up to a month, so you can enjoy mince pies whenever the mood strikes.
Almost there! Beat one small egg and lightly brush it over the tops of your pies. This will give them that beautiful golden shine and help them brown evenly. Pop them into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes , until they turn a gorgeous golden brown. Keep an eye on them towards the end; the smell will be irresistible!
Once they're baked, let the pies cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. This helps them set so they don't fall apart when you take them out. Then gently remove them and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When you're ready to serve, give them a light dusting of icing sugar,it adds that classic festive touch and a bit of extra sweetness.
And there you have it, warm, buttery mince pies just like grandmum used to make. Perfect with a cup of tea or a glass of mulled wine. Enjoy!
Now, gather all the mixture together into a ball. Don't add any liquid here, just gently bring it all together. Give it a quick knead, but only briefly,just enough to make sure everything is combined. The dough will feel quite firm, a bit like shortbread dough, which is exactly what you want. If you're not ready to bake just yet, no worries; you can pop the dough into the fridge to chill for later. It keeps well and this resting time can actually help the pastry relax, making it easier to roll out.
Next up, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (gas mark 6, or 180 degrees fan) . While that's warming up, grab two 12 hole patty tins and line 18 of the holes by pressing small walnut sized balls of your pastry into each one. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry up the sides and into the corners, making sure it's evenly distributed. This helps form those lovely little pie cases that will hold all that delicious mincemeat filling.
Once your pastry shells are ready, spoon about 280 grams of mincemeat into each one. Don't be shy here; fill them up nicely, but leave a little room at the top so you can seal them properly later without any spillage.
Now, take slightly smaller balls of pastry than the ones you used for the bases. Pat them out gently between your hands to make round lids, just big enough to cover each pie. It doesn't have to be perfectly uniform,homemade charm counts here! Place each lid over the filled pies and press the edges gently together to seal. You don't need to use milk or egg to stick the lids on; the dough is naturally sticky enough to do the job. If you want to freeze them for later, this is the perfect time. Wrapped well, they'll keep in the freezer for up to a month, so you can enjoy mince pies whenever the mood strikes.
Almost there! Beat one small egg and lightly brush it over the tops of your pies. This will give them that beautiful golden shine and help them brown evenly. Pop them into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes , until they turn a gorgeous golden brown. Keep an eye on them towards the end; the smell will be irresistible!
Once they're baked, let the pies cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. This helps them set so they don't fall apart when you take them out. Then gently remove them and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When you're ready to serve, give them a light dusting of icing sugar,it adds that classic festive touch and a bit of extra sweetness.
And there you have it, warm, buttery mince pies just like grandmum used to make. Perfect with a cup of tea or a glass of mulled wine. Enjoy!
Pairs Well With
