Mince pies

Mince pies are sweet treats that are traditionally served at Christmas. Some people make their own mince meat to fill them, but I don’t at the moment.  The main reason is that I can buy a jar so cheaply in January or February as the supermarkets are getting rid of old stock after Christmas ready for Easter products.  Most of the jars that I have this year cost me 35p (2024).  It keeps perfectly fine and I have used them two or three years later.  I add lard to my pastry as it makes it more crisp, but all butter, or margarine is fine.  The same recipe can be used for larger tarts or small pies, and bought short crust pastry can be used if you don’t want to make it.  Below is just the basic recipe but later I will advise the ingredients that we sometimes add to switch the pies up a bit if guests are coming.

Ingredients

Pastry

8oz plain flour

2oz of butter

2oz lard

Water

Filling

A jar of mince meat.

Icing sugar (optional)

Egg or milk to wash the top

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C
2. Grease the pie tins or tart tins
3. Using the tips of your fingers or a mixer, make the pastry.
4. Wrap it up in cling film and place it into the fridge for half an hour.
5. Sprinkle some flour onto the board.
6. Roll out the pastry until it is about 3 mm thick.  Try not to add too much flour.
7. Either cut a large circle to line a tart tin or have two circular cutters if making pies.  One should be larger than the other ( lid smaller).  In the days when I did not have pastry cutters I would use different sized glasses to cut out the pastry.  I use a side plate to cut out the tart circles.
8. Place the larger circles in to the base of the pie tins (or line a tart tin).
9. Fill with mince meat.  Do not over fill them or else they will leak.  I  put one large heaped teaspoon in.
10. Place a pastry lid on the pies or some decoration using the left over pastry for the tart.
11. Egg wash or brush milk on the top of the pies or tart decoration.
12. Cook until the pastry is golden brown.  This takes about 15 to 20 minutes.  I will often blind bake the base of the tart first for about 10 minutes before filling if it is a large tart.
13. Take out of the oven and place on a cooling rack.  Don’t eat for at least 10 minutes as they will be molten hot.
14. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving if desired.

These can be served hot or cold.  This should make at least 12 mince pies.  These can be stored in a tin that seals for about 4 or 5 days.  If I am going to make them ahead I tend to freeze them raw and cook them on the day I want to eat them.  We make mince tarts during the year and not just at Christmas.  This one was made around Valentine’s day.

Ways that you can make these extra special 

1. Grate orange zest into the pastry and the mince meat.
2. Use sweet crust pastry
3. Grate apple into the mince meat.
4. Chop crystalised ginger into the mince meat
5. Add some alcohol like brandy or rum to the mince meat
6. Add dark chocolate to the mince meat and use orange pastry or Grand Marnier
7. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, randy or whisky cream, or custard
8. Pipe with Viennese Whirl mixture on top.
9. Put a small circle of marzipan in the bottom of the pastry of the pie.
10. Add dried cranberries to the mince meat
11. Add ground almonds to the pastry