Best Mince Pies Ever Recipes

UNBELIEVABLY EASY MINCE PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the golden caster 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.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.
• Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. 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. Will keep frozen for up to one month.
• Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with the icing sugar. Will keep for three to four days in an airtight container.

BEST MINCE PIES EVER

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Rub together the flour and butter (or whizz up in a food processor).
• Add the sugar and salt and mix thoroughly.
• Knead the mixture together. Don't add any water. You'll think there's no way it's ever going to stick into a ball, but it will after a few minutes of kneading.
• Take walnut-sized balls of the pastry and push them into the holes of a 12-cake cupcake tin, forming them into case shapes.
• Fill each with some of the mincemeat.
• Form lids for each pie from a slightly smaller ball of dough, patted out flat to fit. Push the edges onto the sides of the case - they will stick together without the need for any egg or milk.
• At this point, you can freeze the pies until needed.
• Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Serve hot or cold, dusted with icing sugar, with lashings of brandy butter.

MELT-IN-THE-MOUTH MINCE PIES

Steps:

• PASTRY:.
• Sift the flour into a bowl with the icing sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Using a knife or a processor, cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add enough cream to mix to a soft dough. Gather into a ball and knead very briefly to smooth it out. Divide dough into 2; wrap each in cling film and chill for at least an hour.
• Lightly grease your bun tins. On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to the thickness of a coin, then stamp out equal numbers of 6cm and 7cm circles. Roll up the offcuts, knead lightly, and then roll out again.
• Use the larger circles to line the cups of the tins. Place a heaped tsp of mincemeat in each cup, cover with the smaller disc and lightly press together. Make a small hole in the centre of each lid for the steam. Chill for 30 minutes before baking.
• Heat oven to220/gas 7 and place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up (the intense blast of heat to the bases helps them to cook through more effectively).
• Bake for 10 minutes approx; reduce heat to 180/gas 4, then cook another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Brush lightly with milk, dust with caster sugar, and then return to the oven for approx 1 minute.
• Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, and then ease out. These will freeze for up to 3 months!

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Butter and flour a muffin tin. Roll out the pastry until it is about a quarter of an inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut it into three-inch rounds. Place half the rounds in the muffin tin (you may need two tins).
• Mix the brandy into the mincemeat. Place a tablespoon onto each pastry round. Beat the egg and use a little to moisten the edges of each round. Place a pastry top on each mincemeat round and press the edges together with a fork.
• With a sharp knife, make a slit in the top of each pie. Brush with egg and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 10 more minutes or until the pies are golden. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Dust with sugar and serve hot or cold.

ENGLISH MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl. Chop the butter and blend it into the flour with the tips of your fingers (or with a pastry blender), adding the salt and sugar until it is like bread crumbs. Add the water gradually and work into a dough, moistening with more water as needed. Put the dough on a floured board and knead with the palm of your hand. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for half an hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix the brandy into the mincemeat. Roll the pastry out thin and cut in rounds half an inch larger than your cupcake tins. Use a glass or a cutter to cut rounds for the lids. Dust the baking tin with flour, fill each cupcake round with a round of pastry, and fill with mincemeat - not too full or it will boil over during cooking. Press on the lids, crimping the edges together.
• Brush each pie with a little beaten egg and bake in the oven for eight to 10 minutes.

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine apples, brown sugar, raisins, golden raisins, currants, orange peel, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, mace, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Mix together and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn the heat down to the lowest setting on your stovetop. Simmer, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the heat and leave to cool while you prepare your pastry.
• Unroll pie crusts onto a flat surface. Cut into 24 circles using a cookie cutter or the bottom of a mug.
• Place a circle into the bottom of each cup of a 12-cup cupcake tin. Fill each of the pastry circles with fruit filling. Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg and cover with the remaining circles. Brush all of the mince pies with more beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., For filling, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apples, apricot, brown sugar, raisins, apple juice, vinegar, orange zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until apples are tender, 15-17 minutes. Stir in rum. Remove from heat; cool slightly., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut 20 circles with a floured 2-3/4-in. round biscuit cutter. Top half the circles with 1 tablespoon filling. Top with remaining circles; press edges with a fork to seal. Cut slits in top. Brush tops with egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.