I first made mince pies the year before last, our 3rd Christmas here, using Delia Smith's recipe for the mincemeat filling and pastry. Don't worry - I don't put actual meat in my mincemeat and I only use vegetarian suet (although I have toyed with the idea of using beef suet...). The mincemeat filling was perfect, but while the pastry was surprisingly easy to make it didn't have that 'wow' factor - the amazing mincemeat was being let down by the average pastry, which I wanted to be sweeter and crumbly, instead of dry and flaky.
Last year, I wasn't intending to make mince pies at all. Something to do with feeling lazy. But then my brother-in-law left us some mini mince pies that looked very cute and delicious. The pastry lived up to expectations, but the filling was pretty awful. After that disappointing experience, I kept thinking I must be able to make mince pies better than that. I already knew I had a killer mincemeat recipe, so surely I would be able to find the perfect mince pie pastry recipe?
After trawling through the internet, I decided on a recipe that looked promising and gave it a go. The result after the first attempt was what can only be described as shortbread filled with mincemeat! Pretty much a mince pie :) The reason why the pastry turned out more like shortbread was because I didn't believe the pastry would hold as I was pressing the dough into the muffin tins so I left it rather thick, and I didn't want the mince to burst through the pastry so I only filled it about 2/3 full - this resulted in more pastry than filling. Delicious though. I still had 3 jars of mincemeat left so made a larger 2nd batch a few days later with 2 jars, this time pressing out the dough to be quite thin and being more generous with the mincemeat. The result? The perfect mince pie... :) Just the right thickness of pastry with just the right amount of filling. With my final jar/batch I added slightly too much butter to the pastry and I think this caused the pastry to be a little difficult to press into the tins. I also pressed out the pastry too thin so the mince pies came out a little fragile... (at least I know now how far the pastry will let me take it!) But despite all that, the mince pies from the 3rd batch still satisfied my (or perhaps even anyone's? :) mince pie craving.
In my search for a pastry recipe, I also found many promising alternative recipes for mincemeat, but I figure why change when I know that what I have works? So below is the recipe for the mincemeat (from Delia Smith's Christmas) and the recipe for the pastry, which is reproduced below with some editing, was found here. (Note that I've halved the quantities for both recipes - if I left them as the original quantities I'd be drowning in mince pie heaven!)
Mincemeat
Ingredients
- 225g Bramley apples, cored and chopped small (no need to peel)
- 110g shredded suet (I think the expensive organic suet from Wholefoods actually results in more superior mincemeat than when using Atora suet from Tesco...)
- 175g raisins
- 110g sultanas
- 110g currants
- 110g whole mixed candied peel
- 175g soft dark brown sugar
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 25g whole almonds cut into slivers
- 2 teaspoons mixed ground spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- nutmeg, grated
- 3 tablespoons brandy
Combine all the ingredients except for the brandy in a large mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave the mixture in a cool place overnight or for 12 hours, so the flavours have a chance to mingle and develop.
After that pre-heat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius, transfer the mix to a tin (I use a cake tin), cover loosely with foil and place it in the oven for 3 hours.
Remove from the oven. As it cools stir from time to time; the fat will coagulate and instead of it being in tiny shreds it will encase all the other ingredients. When the mincemeat is cold stir in the brandy.
Pack in clean dry jars, cover with wax discs and seal. It will keep in a cool, dark cupboard indefinitely (but probably best to eat within a year).
Mince Pie Pastry
Makes about 10 mince pies
Ingredients
- 110 cold butter, diced
- 175g plain flour
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 1 jar mincemeat (my jars are of the chilli bean sauce or black bean garlic sauce variety :)
- 1 small egg, beaten (optional)
- icing sugar, to dust
To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt.
Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line about 10 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. (Don't worry about greasing the muffin tin as I think the butter from the pastry will prevent the pies from sticking. Also you only need to make sure they come up about halfway to 2/3 of the way up the muffin tin.)
Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
Optional - brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.
They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
I love your mice pies and I'm gonna really miss them this time around :( do put up pics if you bake them this time?
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