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Mince Pies Recipe

Homemade Mince Pies
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You can almost taste those mince pies looking at the picture above! Click on it for a larger version and you'll understand that they are so very, very tasty.

Mince pies originally contained minced meat as their name implies. They date back to the mid 1500s as a traditional Christmas snack. The Victorians weren't so keen on the meat content so they changed the recipe to use a sweet filling now know as mincemeat.

It is possible to make your own mincemeat but it's really not worth it considering the price and quality of shop bought mincemeat. Price though is important, so buy a good quality version if you want the best results.

INGREDIENTS

375g Ready rolled shortcrust pastry

200g / 7oz mincemeat

A lightly whisked egg

Small amount of icing sugar

Nutrition information per mince pie
PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes
 
COOKING TIME: 25 minutes
 
DIFFICULTY: Medium
 
FREEZE: No
 
SERVINGS: 10
 
EQUIPMENT: Two pastry cutters, one slightly larger than the holes in the bun baking tin (to cut the base of the mince pie) and one slightly smaller for the top.
A brush to coat the pastry edges with egg.

PREPARATION

Grease the bun tin well to stop the mince pies sticking when cooked.

ADVICE FOR MINCE PIES

There are loads of different sizes of bun tins, all suitable for different cakes and small pies. The ideal size for a mince pie is about 1½cm / ¾in deep by about 6½cm / 2¾in wide at the top. The exact size is not crucial but some bun tines are definitely too large for mince pies.

You will need two pastry cutters, one larger cutter for the base and another slightly smaller one for the top. The exact size will depend on the size of your bun tin.

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Turn the oven on, setting it to 200°C / Fan 180°C / 400°F / Gas 6

Unroll the shortcrust pastry onto a flat surface.

STEP 2

Using the larger of the two pastry cutters, cut out the base for five of the mince pies. Don't do it for all 10 at the moment in case there is not enough pastry. Line the holes of the bun tin with the pastry cut out above.

Cut pastry circles
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Pastry cut out

STEP 3

Add a heaped teaspoon of the Mincemeat to each mince pie base. Don't add more because it will rise up and dribble out during cooking spoiling the appearance of the mince pies.

Filled mince pies
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Filled mince pies

STEP 4

Brush the edge of each of the mince pie bases with a light coating of egg.

If you don't have a brush just dip your fingers in the whisked milk and run them round the edges. The purpose of this is to help the the base and top of the pie stick together.

STEP 5

Cut out the tops of the mince pies with the smaller pastry cutter and place them on the top of the filled mince pies. Firm down the edges lightly to ensure top and bottom are firmly connected. Brush the top of the pies with milk to help give them a golden colour when cooked.

Mince pies being covered with shortcrust pastry
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Mince pies being covered with shortcrust pastry

STEP 6

Cut a small hole in the top of each mince pie with a knife. This will help stop the filling from forcing itself out through the edges.

It also helps to stop the shortcrust from becoming wet. Repeat the above process for the remaining mince pies.

Uncooked mince pie
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Uncooked mince pie

STEP 7

Cook the mince pies in the pre-heated oven. They should take 20 to 25 minutes to cook but check them after 15 minutes. They are cooked when the pastry is a light golden brown. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes.

Take the cooked mince pies from the oven and dust them with a little icing sugar. They are delicious hot or cold and will keep for three or four days.

Homemade mince pies
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14 RATINGS GIVEN - AVERAGE 4.5 rating
5 star rating
25 September 2010
From: Stephen
Why try and be clever and use what no doubt is simple jargon? What do you mean by: 'cut' the mixture together for a minute or so. If you use simple English and all will be clear.
Not Given
25 September 2010
From: Marie
I have never made mince pies before and thought I would give these a go and came out perfect first time made the mince pies on Saturday 23 Oct 2010. Thanks for step by step instructions will be making these mince pies for Christmas!
Not Given
23 November 2010
From: Christine Conreen
A tip I learned, put your pastry on cling film then roll out, the surface it's much easier to clean afterwards. I will be trying these mince pies thanks.
5 star rating
30 November 2010
From: Jane Tennick
Worked well; I used freshly squeezed orange juice instead of the water to bind the pastry and it tasted great! Pastry made 15 pies, rolled thin. Still found the mince meat gunged out tho - maybe half a teaspoon is enough, or a very meagre spoonful
Not Given
14 December 2010
From: Deena
Just made some mince pies and they're nearly all gone, looks like I will have to make more they were delicious.
5 star rating
19 December 2010
From: Helen Small
Really easy instructions to follow. I liked the pictures, they helped. Thank you, gorgeous mince pies. I'll be making loads more!!
5 star rating
19 December 2010
From: Jo
Amazing! Never made pastry before and just turned out 8 perfect mince pies! Will roll a bit thinner next time to try for a few more. Thanks for the recipe.
3 star rating
20 December 2010
From: Lauren
My grandad swears by this mince pie recipe and has been using it for years! It's very important to let the pastry rest!
4 star rating
29 December 2010
From: Janis
I always add some brandy to my mincemeat a day or so before using, they taste so much better and the mince remains very moist. Lovely site with some great recipes, thank you.
5 star rating
9 December 2011
From: Pip
Great recipe but please could you add the fan oven temperature? I assume it would be about 180 but it does help to have it confirmed :-) Thanks!
Answer: Thanks, the recipe has been updated.
5 star rating
21 December 2011
From: Bob
To pip regarding fan oven temp... its the same temperature, a fan oven just makes pre-heating quicker.
5 star rating
22 December 2011
From: Kate
I like Delia but the oven timings and temperatures for her mince pies never work for me and they end up rock hard or soggy when I try to tinker with them. I followed this recipe yesterday and the mince pies were gorgeous. Really simple recipe too.
4 star rating
23 December 2011
From: Ben
My (24) pies are in the oven now. I thought I would type this up whilst I wait for them to do their thang! I would suggest checking on them around 20 mins. They may be done by this point if you have a well-regulated oven. Checking after this MAY be too late! I think you missed Pip's gist. 180 sounds good Pip. Experiment at this temp (poss a wee tad higher?) on fan assisted. Again, always take a check before it is too late! The recipe above is fine...just go easy on the stork and cooken (yuk!). Also, you might want to correct the sentence under the 10th photo...'their' should read there AND I think you should change it back to mince pies...poor mice!! Merry Mince pie Making!
Answer: Thanks for those comments Ben, they are much appreciated. We have corrected as per your comments and also added the fan temperature as Pip requested.
4 star rating
23 December 2011
From: Fiona
The fan oven setting is almost always 20C below the "normal" oven setting, so 180C. I know because mine came out perfectly - thank you for easy recipe!
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