How to Make Mince Pies This Christmas: A Traditional Mince Pie Recipe

A Traditional Christmas Mince Pie Recipe

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without mince pies. Smothered in brandy butter, topped with a dollop of fresh cream, swimming in custard or simply served straight from the oven with a dusting of icing sugar: you can't beat a Christmas mince pie.

This recipe is a traditional recipe. The pastry is wonderfully crumbly and light. Make sure you bake plenty as they'll definitely be a family favorite and you're sure to be on everyones Christams list.

Bake And Rate This Christmas Recipe

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 150g cold butter, diced into small cubes
• 250g plain flour, sieved
• 70g caster sugar, sieved
• A pinch of salt
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 200g mincemeat, bought or homemade
• A little vegetable oil, to grease

To Make The Pastry

1. In a large bowl, using your finger tips rub the butter into the flour, stir in the sugar and add the pinch of salt.
2. Combine the pastry to make a ball and knead for a minute or two. The pastry will have a similar consistency to that of shortbread. Chill in the fridge for later or use straight away.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6.
4. Grease a 12-hole cake tin with a little vegetable oil. Using small amounts of pastry, press into each hole building the pastry up along the sides reaching just over half way up each hole. A little like working putty or marla.
5. Spoon in the mincemeat and using smaller pastry pieces, pat them gently between your palms flattening the pastry to make lids. Press the edges together to seal in the mincemeat.
6. Brush the pastry tops with a little of the beaten egg and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden.
7. Leave to cool completely in the tins before removing them. Do not attempt to remove them while warm, they will fall apart.
8. The mince pies can be frozen at this stage and will retain their freshness for up to a month. For best results, defrost over night.
9. Dust the mince pies with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream, brandy butter, warm custard or your favorite mince pie topping.
10. The mince pies will keep fresh for 3 to 4 days in an air tight container.

Delicious Mince Pies and Whipped Cream

The Hairy Bikers make food fun, I particularly like the photos in this book and all the recipes are easy to follow.

The Hairy Bikers Make Festive Food Fun

A Perfect Christmas Treat

Baking Tips:

• Make sure your hands are spotlessly clean and at a cool temperature to get the best results when kneading the pastry. Run your hands under a cold tap and pat dry if you have warm hands syndrome.
• Build the pastry around the holes in your baking tin, as if it were play dough or putty making sure not to leave any gaps.
• Don't attempt to remove the pies until they are completely cooled in the tray.
• Do not use a knife to remove the pies: tip the tin slightly and carefully ease the pies out into the palm of your hand.
• Biscuit tins are great for storing these delicious mince pies, keeping them fresh for days (if they last that long).

The Best Crumbly Pastry

Cooks Note

To be honest I wasn't going to add a nutrition chart, for me and I'm sure for most of us Christmas is a time of celebration and good food goes hand in hand with celebrations. Turkey and pudding are surely at the forefront of everyones mind; the only scales at hand being the one used to weigh out the ingredients for more mince pies. And of course there's always the excuse of eating leftovers and not wasting food. In all honesty who doesn't love slices of cold turkey, sauage stuffing and lashings of cranberry sauce between two thick slices of white crusty bread.

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Counting calories and worrying about nutrition seems an impossible feat at Christmas time, especially when everyone else is over indulging too, however as you can see I have included the chart against my better judgement. Perhaps January and diet are smouldering on the near horizon. Either way for all you obsessive calorie counters out there, my Christmas gift to you: a nutrition chart for mince pies.

On the other hand, I suppose knowing how many calories a mince pie has, might just stop you from eating the whole lot! Or possibly like me, knowing they're only 250 calories each, you'll eat even more, once you've baked them of course. It's Christmas for heaven sake go on, indulge.

Happy Christmas and Happy Baking :)

Gordon's book is full of traditional Christmas recipes. I have made many and espcially love the party food and the suppers. A great book full to the brim of indulgent dishes.

Have a Wonderful Christmas With Gordon

© 2012 Gabriel Wilson

Comments

Gabriel Wilson (author) from Madeira, Portugal on December 04, 2014:

I make mince pies every Christmas Eve, and I love all the Christmas traditions. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas :)

Hezekiah from Japan on December 01, 2014:

Gotta love the mince pies, even here in Japan. I have to buy them imported every Christmas

Gabriel Wilson (author) from Madeira, Portugal on November 11, 2012:

Whipped cream is always a winner :) I've tried brandy butter too; very tasty, especially with a Christmas tipple. Tanx for your comment and your time.

2patricias from Sussex by the Sea on November 09, 2012:

Well done for using your own photos. I really think that I would like whipped cream with mince pies.

I have added this to my Recipe Index for HubPages.