Favourite mince pie recipe?

[lolalotta]

Just wondering if anyone had links for favourite recipes? I made mine with a bog standard honemade pastry last year and they were rubbish!

[vixsatis]

Make pastry with butter and plain flour, using a whole egg to bind. This makes the pastry very easy to ahndle, so that it can be rolled out thinly.

Roll out thinly (about 3-4 mm). use a tumbler to cut some rounds and a shot glass or similar to cut smaller rounds. Use the larger rounds to line cake tin holes, fill with mincemeat and top with the smaller rounds. Brush with beaten egg and cook until golden. This method avoids an excess of pastry. You can sweeten the pastry with icing sugar but given that mincement is sweet I prefer not to.

As far as mincemeat is concerned, I usually use a jar as a starter, then add to it sultanas, raisins, chopped apples, peel etc., together with an extra handful of suet and sugar and spices to taste. I pour in some brandy/whisky/sherry/port and perhaps a bit of orange juice and leave to soak for a bit until sufficiently gloopy.

All a bit trial and error, and the exact composition depends, for instance, on the number of slightly tired apples which need using; but they seem to go down well

[lolalotta]

Thank you so much Vix, I will give them a try!!!! I bet the egg gives the pastry a richer flavour!

[MirandaWest]

My mum has a great recipe that makes lovely pastry. Will try and find it....

[MirandaWest]

Here is is :) I like to do ones with grated pastry on top with some sugar sprinkled over :)

9oz plain flour
Pinch of salt
1oz ground almonds
6oz hard margarine or butter (I use block Stork)
3oz castor sugar (I don't use as much as this, at most 2oz)
Grated rind of half a lemon
2 tbsps single cream, top milk or evap (never tried evap here)
1 egg yolk

Mix flour, salt, almonds lemon rind and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter (or use processor). Mix the yolk and cream/milk on a saucer with a fork then add to the dry ingredients and mix to a dough. (It's quite soft). Wrap in foil and chill at least 1 hour.

[MirandaWest]

This is from an email my mum sent me. I use butter and single cream :)

[AndMiffyWentToSleep]

Ooh my favourites have about half a teaspoon of sweetened cream cheese on top of the mincemeat - sounds horrible but is gorgeous!