These rich, sticky pies are guaranteed to get you in the festive mood. This easy recipe allows you to create sweet, biscuity pies with minimal effort. Serve warm with lashings of brandy cream.
Mince pies - makes 12
Ingredients for mince pies
- 350g mincemeat (homemade or bought)
- 200g plain flour, sifted
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 75g ground almonds
- 125g unsalted butter, diced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- milk, to glaze
Instructions for making mince pies
- Butter a 12-hole pie tin
- Stir the mincemeat in a bowl until the consistency is even
- Mix the flour, sugar, almonds and butter in a food processor until they have a crumb-like consistency
- Gradually add the egg through the feeder tube
- Use your hands to work the mixture together, then wrap in cling film and chill for an hour
- Roll the pastry on a floured surface
- Cut out 12 circles, large enough to fill the base of the pie tins
- Press the pastry into the tin and fill with mincemeat
- Cut 12 smaller circles from the pastry to cover the mincemeat. Press the pastry together
- Make a small slit in each pie then brush with milk
- Chill for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 200C
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown
Tips for making mince pies
- Add some festive cheer by making paper templates of snowflakes, placing them on top of the mince pies and sprinkling with icing sugar
- Pies can be frozen
