Mince Pies
A quintessential Christmas treat, these classic mince pies are made with a quick and easy, homemade, sweet shortcrust pastry.
Servings 12 pies
Equipment
- 1 12-hole fairy cake tin
- 12 paper fairy cake cases
- 2 fluted circle cookie cutters, (6cm and 7cm diameter).
- 1 mini star-shaped cutter (optional, see Note 1).
- 1 pastry brush
Ingredients
For the sweet shortcrust pastry:
- 225 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting.
- 50 g icing sugar
- 150 g Stork (see Note 2).
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp ice-cold water
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
For the pies:
- 350 g mincemeat (see Note 3).
- Icing sugar, for dusting.
Instructions
Make the sweet shortcrust pastry:
- Sieve together the flour and sugar and place into the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the plastic blade. Add the Stork, then pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Whisk the egg yolk with the water and lemon juice in a small bowl, then add to the food processor as well.
- Pulse all of the ingredients together until a dough starts to form. Bring the mixture together with your hands, then wrap tightly in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
Assemble the mince pies:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.
- Take the pastry out of the fridge. Take 2/3 of the pastry and roll out to the thickness of a pound coin. Use the larger, 7cm cutter to stamp out 12 circles and gently press one into each paper case.
- Add a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case.
- Roll out the remaining dough to the same pound coin thickness, then use the smaller, 6cm cutter to cut 12 more circles. Use the star-shaped cutter to cut out a small star from the centre of each circle.
- Brush the edges of the bottom pastry cases with water, then place the smaller circles over the top, using your fingers to press down and seal the edges.
- Brush the top of each pie with a little milk, then bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar and serve. The pies can be eaten hot or cold (they can also be reheated in the oven/airfryer). They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Notes
- I like to cut a star shape out of the centre of each pie, because I think it looks extra festive. If you don't want to do this, just make sure to use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the top of each pie, once assembled, to allow any steam to escape.
- I use Stork for this recipe because it's what my mum always uses, but you can use diced, unsalted butter if you prefer (just be aware that the mixture will take longer to come together).
- You can use homemade or store-bought mincemeat for this recipe.