Easiest Mince Pies 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.

EASY PEASY MINI MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Grease the holes of 2 cupcake trays (24 holes in total), using a little butter on some baking paper. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
• Place the flour in the bowl (you can sieve it if you like, but I never bother) and add the cubes of cold butter. Rub the butter and flour between your fingers (as if you are trying to rub the flour into the butter) until it resembles breadcrumbs. (See Note 1.)
• Stir in a tablespoon of cold water and stir into the butter/flour mixture thoroughly. Add another tablespoon of cold water and stir in thoroughly. Repeat this process until the mixture just starts to come together. I usually find this happens after about 6-8 tablespoons but it does vary. Don't add too much water!
• As soon as your pastry starts coming together, stop adding water and use your hands to squish the pastry together into a ball.
• Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and pop your ball of pastry on top. Roll your pastry out as thin as it will go. (It might be easier, depending on the size if your work surface, to split the pastry into 2 balls and do them 1 at a time.)
• Using a circle shaped cutter, cut out 24 circles and place them into the greased holes of you cupcake trays.
• Put 1 teaspoonful of mincemeat in the centre of each circle.
• Squish together the pastry, roll it into a ball and roll out thinly again. This time cut out 24 stars, using your star shaped cutter, Place each star on top of the mincemeat, roughly in the centre (this is a bit hit and miss with children!) and press down slightly so the star sticks.
• Using a pastry brush, brush over a little milk. (Not strictly necessary, but it makes the mince pies go a more golden colour.)
• Put the mince pies in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the mincemeat is bubbling and the pastry is golden on top.
• Take your mince pies out of the cupcake tin and place them on a wire rack to cool - I find it easiest to lever the mince pies out with a dessert spoon - take care not to burn yourself as they will be super-hot!
• While the mince pies are still warm, put a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar into a sieve and dust the icing sugar over the mince pies. (You can use an icing sugar dredger if you prefer.)
• The mince pies can be eaten warm or cold, on their own or with cream or custard.
• When the mince pies are completely cool they can be stored in a cake tin, or other air tight container... that is if there are any left!

TRADITIONAL BRITISH MINCE PIE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the flour, butter, and salt into a large clean bowl.
• Rub the butter quickly into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough sand.
• Stir the egg into the mixture using a cold knife.
• Add the cold water, a teaspoon at a time, and stir until the mixture binds but is not sticky.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C / Gas Mark 6. Choose a muffin or bun tin for the size of the tart you want. Choose from a standard 12-cup muffin tin down to small canapé size. The number of pies will depend on the size of the tin you use.
• Dust a work surface lightly with a little flour and roll out 2/3 of the pastry to 1/8 inch thick. Cut circles to line the cups of your tin; don't worry if the pastry doesn't come to the very top.
• Fill the pastry-lined tins 2/3 full with mincemeat.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness and cut smaller circles to fit as lids on the tarts or, to be decorative, cut stars or other fancy shapes.
• Dampen the edges of the tart bases with a little cold water and press the lids on. Make a small hole in the surface of each pie with a small sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (15 minutes if making canapé-sized ones), or until golden brown.
• Let cool and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
• Serve and enjoy.

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:

• Mince pies freeze very well, taking some of the headache out of all that Christmas preparation. If I make lots of these before Christmas, I freeze them raw and then cook them on the day. Cooked mince pies can be stored in a biscuit tin or airtight box and warmed through gently before serving. They are perfect with a glass of spicy mulled wine or a cup of coffee for a festive snack.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/Gas mark 6. Brush the tin with melted butter.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch/3 mm thick and, using the 2 1/2-inches/6 cm cutter, cut out 24 circles for the bases. Then use the smaller plain/fluted cutter or star cutter to cut-out 24 circles/stars for the lids. Re-roll the trimmings, if necessary.
• Line the holes of the cake tin with the larger pastry rounds. Fill each base with a teaspoon mincemeat and top with one of the smaller rounds or stars. Brush the tops of the mince pies with the beaten egg.
• Bake in the oven for 10 to 13 minutes until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar (confectioners') to serve.
• This basic pastry is used in many popular recipes, from mince pies to quiches; it's also one of the easiest pastries to start with. The uncooked dough can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
• Shortcrust Pastry:
• Put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and whiz briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 3/4-inch/2 cm thick, then wrap in cling film or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Variations: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon icing sugar (confectioners'). Soured cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring it together.
• This delicious mincemeat will keep happily in a cool dark place for at least a year. If you are making your own suet (the fat that surrounds the beef kidney), make sure that every trace of blood has been removed before you whiz it in the food processor, otherwise it will cause the mincemeat to go off.
• Mincemeat:
• Put the apple chunks in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon water, cover and cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until the apples are cooked down to a pulp. Allow to cool.
• Mix the apples with the orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, suet, raisins, sultanas, currants, candied peel, dark brown sugar, almonds, mixed spice, and whiskey in a large bowl and put into sterilized jars.* Leave to mature, if possible for at least 2 weeks before using.
• Cut the fruit in 1/2 and squeeze out the juice. (Reserve the juice for another use, perhaps home-made lemonade.) Put the peel into a large bowl, add the salt and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 24 hours.
• Next day, throw away the soaking water; put the peel in a large saucepan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about 3 hours or until the peel is soft.
• Remove the peel from the pan and discard the water. Scrape out any remaining flesh and membrane from inside the cut fruit, using a teaspoon, leaving the white pith and rind intact.
• In a clean large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1 3/4 pints/1 litre of water, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer gently for 30 to 60 minutes until it looks translucent (shiny and 'candied') and the syrup forms a thread when the last drop falls off a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 20 to 30 minutes to slightly cool.
• Put the candied peel into sterilized glass jars* and pour the syrup over. Cover and store in a cold place or in the refrigerator. It should keep, stored like this, for at least 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.

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.

EASIEST MINCE PIES

Steps:

• leave pasrty for 20 minutes to stop from splitting when using.
• cut with a round cookie cutter the base for your mince pies.
• places in muffin tins and fit to tins.
• dollop mincemeat into bases.
• cut shapes with another cookie cutter to place on top.
• crimp together.
• sprinkle with a litle sugar.
• re-roll the pastry to keep getting more mince pies.
• cook about 25-30 minutes until just starting to brown.

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.