Unbelievably easy mince pies
By Orlando Murrin
Cooking time
Prep: 30 mins - 40 mins Cook: 20 minsSkill level
EasyServings
Makes 18 piesYou can throw the dough around and the mince pies still come out crisp and biscuity in this kid-friendly Christmas recipe
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Can be frozen uncooked
Nutrition per pie
- kcalories
- 222
- protein
- 2g
- carbs
- 30g
- fat
- 11g
- saturates
- 7g
- fibre
- 1g
- sugar
- 12g
- salt
- 0.26g
Ingredients
- 225g cold butter, diced
- 350g plain flour
- 100g golden caster sugar
- 280g mincemeat
- 1 small egg
- icing sugar, to dust
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Method
- To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g 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.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g 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. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
- Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. 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.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2002
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
Will never, ever, buy another mince pie. NO, NOT EVER!
Living in Asia at Christmas I knew I'd find it hard to buy a decent mince pie & tried these for the first time with my one jar on mince meat I'd brought from a UK visit. WOW....
The pastry is delicious, they're so easy to make & look amazing. However they turn out, they're delicious.
Visiting family brought two more jars of mince meat and I made another few batches. Never froze any as they always disappeared!
Very easy, very effective & very very scrummy!
This recipe is amazing. I was very sceptical as I am rubbish at baking, especially where pastry is concerned. But mine came out perfect, once I let them cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin I put a baking try over the top, spun it upside down and they all came out 100% perfect. I tried one whilst still warm, and oh my god, it was lovely, and the pastry was so light and tasty!
These are awesome! Visit www.cookingwithtricia.ca for Easy Recipes
Yes these mince pies are as tasty as everyone says, but I didn't think the pastry was 'unbelievably easy'. It doesn't stick together enough to kneed and is a right pain to get into the cases (especially if using silicone baking cases). I added water and rolled it out in the end. I notice most people add egg so they're not actually following the unbelievably easy recipe that they say is so great!
So easy to make you think they are going to be a disaster. But far from it, a huge hit with my family & friends but have to admit they taste better the day after baking. So would recommend the wait. A real child friendly recipe also as I got my little toddler and his friend to help me make a second batch and we had such fun making them together, they were able to help with each stage and loved it. The pies still came out as yummy as ever.
These are fantastic. Having played with the dough to get it to warm up & become pliable, I rolled the pastry out inside some teflon sheets so that I could use the round pastry cutters, then scooped them up with a pallette knife to place them in to the bun tray. The pies need to cool before moving so that they have hardened and don't break- waiting is a pain! These are by far the best mince pies I've made.