As we are in the season for sharing I thought I would share with you the recipe for the very best mince pies....this recipe was shared with me years ago and I have never gone back to any other recipe each Christmas...and everybody tells me they love them. So here they are.
DELUXE MINCE PIES (Makes 24)
Orange Pastry for Deluxe Mince Pies
INGREDIENTS FOR PASTRY
500g Plain (All Purpose) Flour
175g Icing Sugar (or caster sugar)
375g Butter
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 large orange
METHOD FOR PASTRY
Sift flour and sugar into a bowl. Then run butter in until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated orange rind. Slowly stir in orange juice until the dough begins to stick. Pat the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
DELUXE MINCE PIES
INGREDIENTS FOR MINCE PIES
250g Full fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
50g Caster Sugar
500g Orange Pastry (as made above)
500g Mincemeat (I use Robinson's Mincemeat available in the supermarket)
Milk to glaze
Icing sugar to decorate
Paper cake cases
Beat cream cheese and caster sugar till smooth. Knead pastry, roll and cut 24 rounds using a 3 inch fluted pastry cutter. Line cupcake tins with paper cake cases. Line with the 3 inch rounds. Fill to half depth with mincemeat (approx. 1 teaspoon). Put a teaspoon of the beaten cream cheese mix on top of the mincemeat and smooth the top. Roll and cut 24 rounds of pastry using a 2 inch fluted pastry cutter. Moisten the underside of the rounds and place on top. Press edges together and make small slits in the top of each pie.
Brush tops with cold milk and bake in the oven (Gas Mark 7/220 deg C/425 deg F) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin and then gently ease out. Store in a tin with greaseproof paper. These freeze really well and then you can bake them as you need them.
Let me know if you make them x I'd love to know if you enjoyed them x
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