Mince pie on a plate with a forkful taken out

Mince pies

By Paul Hollywood
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(81 ratings)
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Prep: 45 mins Cook: 15 mins

Easy

Serves 16

Paul Hollywood prefers melt-in-the-mouth pastry for his fruity mince pies, so this recipe is nice and short

Nutrition and extra info

  • Freezable

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal319
  • fat16g
  • saturates9g
  • carbs44g
  • sugars26g
  • fibre1g
  • protein4g
  • salt0.05g
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Ingredients

  • 1 large jar mincemeat (about 600g)
    Deep-filled mince pie cut up

    Mincemeat

    mins-meet

    It's a classic ingredient at Christmas in small covered tarts, but mincemeat can be…

  • 2 satsumas, segmented
  • 1 apple, finely chopped
    Apples

    Apple

    ap-pel

    Grown in temperate regions, apples are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. There are…

  • zest 1 lemon
    Lemon

    Lemon

    le-mon

    Oval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…

  • little icing sugar, for dusting

For the pastry

  • 375g plain flour
  • 260g unsalted butter, softened
  • 125g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 beaten egg for glazing
    Eggs

    Egg

    egg

    The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a…

Method

  1. Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together to a crumb consistency.

  2. Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and mix together.

  3. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.

  4. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.

  5. Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and zest of 1 lemon.

  6. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

  7. Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.

  8. Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. Brush the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.

  9. Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.

  10. Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.

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Comments, questions and tips

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katysj77
27th Jan, 2018
5.05
My go to sweet pastry recipe, really delicious and crumbly. Not keen on the satsumas added to the mincemeat but zest and apple works well. I prefer to add cooked down fresh/frozen cranberries (compote) to my mincemeat. I roll half the pastry at a time for ease and really does only need 10 mins to chill. Never had much success with pastry until trying this, love it!
ladyldh
2nd Jan, 2018
5.05
This pastry recipe is brilliant. Even some people I know who don’t normally like mince pies really enjoyed these . Would definately use this recipe again. I did reduce oven temperature to 180 and baked for 20- 30 mins and they came out perfectly was struggling not to burn them at the temperature in the recipe .
Trevor Crossman
26th Dec, 2017
4.05
Great recipe but didnt use the Apple, orange or lemon zest however I did add marzipan which was amazing and an instant hit
Helen Heron's picture
Helen Heron
24th Dec, 2017
5.05
I work in a gluten free bakery and. made a gluten free version of this (with lots of tips from the baker!) and found the following helped a lot. Firstly I used cold cubed butter, I rolled the pastry (after chilling in the fridge for half hour) out on a silicon mat and also under a sheet of cling film (did half the pastry at a time to make it easier to handle. To remove the cut outs I slid a palette knife carefully underneath, and also put the egg on the edge of the lid before putting it on the top (so it didnt stick all over the pan). I greased the tins well and also put a strip of waxed paper across each pie hole so I could lift it out if it was a bit sticking on the pan. They came out perfect and smell delicious (yet to taste!). I found putting a baking sheet above them in the oven too also made sure they didnt brown too much. I live in Canada after emigrating from UK in April, and I didnt realise they dont have mince pie tins lol so I used a muffin pan and it worked fine, just use 3/4 of the depth instead of the whole hole!! :)
marthamydear
24th Dec, 2017
5.05
Perfect pastry for mince pies! Not sure what happened with yours Slouise, but I've made this recipe more than a few times and always works. Not sticky at all! The satsuma sections make all the difference. Made with and without, and they really are much better WITH the citrusy taste. YUM! Thanks Paul Hollywood!
Slouise
23rd Dec, 2017
1.05
Awful recipe, the pastry doesn't roll and its too sticky to do anything with. It's ruined my daughters mince pies for Father Christmas.
Helen Heron's picture
Helen Heron
24th Dec, 2017
5.05
Try leaving the dough in the fridge longer and rolling out on a silicon mat and under a sheet of cling film, or between two lots of cling flim. Xx
Roni Bee
21st Dec, 2017
5.05
I followed the recipe for the pastry and had no problems, but like previously suggested I rolled 1/4 at a time as this is a very short pastry. Chill for longer if in doubt, also make sure the tins are very well greased. I filled with the zesty mincemeat (also from this site) and everyone loved them. I have used this recipe for a couple of years now and have never had any problems.
cheekymama
20th Dec, 2017
5.05
Made these last week and they were a hit with EVERYONE! School teachers, work colleagues. Yes rather sticky to make but worth the effort :)
RusselG
19th Dec, 2017
4.05
I found that the quantity of butter to flour suggested would not provide what I considered to be a good 'crumb' as the mixture remained too greasy. Added more flour to correct for that. Reduced the sugar by 15g too. Either the egg or a milk glaze results in the pies sticking. Quick work with a narrow blade as soon as removed from the oven helps but ignoring the glaze all together is worth considering. I cooked for 15 minutes at 180 in a fan oven (200 conventional) with my own filling and am delighted with the results a light, crisp, very short, mince pie.

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Arthur Smythe
15th Dec, 2017
Can I cook the pies halfway, remove them, freeze them, and then finish them off in the oven later?
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
15th Dec, 2017
Thanks for your question. We would suggest freezing them once assembled and then cooking from frozen. You'll need to add another 5 - 10 mins to the cooking time.
bajespana
26th Nov, 2017
Can I freeze these before cooking
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
27th Nov, 2017
Thanks for your question. Yes you can. You'll need to increase the cooking time and cook to ensure they're piping hot in the centre.
dchearnden
22nd Dec, 2015
Do you put one segment of satsuma per pie?
dchearnden
21st Dec, 2015
Do you just put one segment of satsuma per pie?
barbbakescakes
23rd Nov, 2015
Was going to make these and use mini muffin tins and after cooking and cooling was going to pipe icing and decorate them. Something different for a Xmas nibble.
hayash
19th Nov, 2015
Can you freeze these mince pies once cooked
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
10th Dec, 2015
Yes, you can freeze these, pack into a rigid container interleaving layers with baking parchment. They will keep well for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and eat cold or warm in the oven before serving.
Rita46
27th Feb, 2015
My pastry didn't turn good, kept on breaking. How long do you crumble flour and butter. Any suggestion.

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Juliet Gormley
22nd Nov, 2014
5.05
I made these mince pies using Gluten free plain flour and although the pastry was a bit tricky to deal with,they were absolutely gorgeous....at long last ....a lovely gluten free pastry recipe. I did not put a pastry lid on them but just placed a pastry star on top to allow some of the moisture to evaporate from the pies. I can't recommend this recipe enough....gorgeous !