Mince Pies
Delicate British pastries with a spiced filling of dried fruits and nuts — the perfect treat for a Christmas table. Simple to make, yet the result is astounding with its exquisite flavour.
Ingredients
- 225 g Butter
- 350 g Wheat flour
- 100 g Golden caster sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 280 g Fruit mincemeat filling
- 1 pcs Egg
- Icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry: rub cold butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, and mix well. Gradually bring the pastry together into a ball without adding any liquid — it will be firm, like shortbread dough. The pastry is ready to use or can be chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two muffin tins (18 cups). Take small pieces of pastry about the size of a walnut and carefully press them into each cup, forming the base and sides of the pies.
- Fill each pie with 15-16 g of fruit mincemeat filling.
- Make the lids: take pieces of pastry slightly smaller than those used for the bases and carefully flatten them between your palms into thin rounds large enough to cover the pies. Place a lid on each pie and gently press the edges — they will seal themselves without any additional brushing. (At this stage, the pies can be frozen for up to a month.)
- Beat the egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- When serving, lightly dust the pies with icing sugar.