Our Head Chef’s Mince Pies
Posted on December 11th, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Head Chef Steve considers his to be the best ever Mince Pie Recipe. He says that the key to his success is his special sweet short pastry.
Equipment and preparation: One (or two) trays ofcm/2.5in patty tins, one fluted 7.5cm/3in pastry cutter and one 6cm/2.5in pastry cutter.
Ingredients (for 12 mince pies)
- 325g plain flour
- 80g castor sugar
- 1 egg
- splash of vanilla extract
- 200g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 560g homemade mincemeat
For the mincemeat
- 100g suet (I use vegetarian)
- 100g mixed peel
- 100g each of currants, sultanas, raisons and apple
- 100g dark brown sugar
- 5g mixed spice
- 60ml each of brandy and dark rum
- the zest and juice of one orange and one lemon
For the top
- a little milk, icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Make up the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and rubbing the butter and sugar into it until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Then add the egg, the vanilla and just enough cold water to mix to a dough that leaves the bowl clean. Leave the pastry to rest in a polythene bag in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then roll half of it out as thinly as possible and cut it into two dozen 7.5cm/3in rounds, gathering up the scraps and re-rolling. Then do the same with the other half of the pastry, this time using the 6cm/2.5in cutter.
Now grease the patty tins lightly with butter and line them with the larger rounds. Fill these with mincemeat to the level of the edges of the pastry. Dampen the edges of the smaller rounds of pastry with water and press them lightly into position to form lids, sealing the edges. Brush each one with milk and make three snips in the tops with a pair of scissors. Bake near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes until light golden-brown. Cool on a wire rack and sprinkle with icing sugar. When cool, store in an airtight container.
A hassle-free way to organise your bowls tour! 
