Ingredients
Pastry Ingredients
350g Plain Flour
75g Lard
75g Butter
Pinch of Salt
560g Mincemeat (see below for recipe)
Mincemeat Ingredients
340g raisins
225g candied peel
225g currants
225g sultanas
225g suet
450g apples
400g brown sugar
Rind of ½ lemon and ½ orange
Good squeeze of orange & lemon juice
15 grams mixed spice
Small pinch of grated nutmeg
285ml – The Rev. James
How To Make
To make the mincemeat -
1. Mince or process the raisins, peel, apples, half the sultanas and half the currants until very finely chopped.
2. Tip into a large bowl and combine with the remainder of the fruit, the suet, sugar, rind, juice, spice, nutmeg and beer, mix well and leave in a covered bowl for a week, stirring every day.
3. Store in clean well sealed jars until ready to use.
To make the mince pies -
1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas 6, 200’C.
2. To make the pastry sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub the lard and butter into the flour until you have crumb consistency. Add a little water and mix until the dough forms. Place the pastry in a food bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the pastry as thin as possible and use a 7.5cm pastry cutter to form 24 rounds. Gather up the off cuts and roll them out again. Use a 6cm cutter to form the 24 lids.
4. Grease a baking tin and line with the larger rounds of pastry. Fill each pie with mincemeat almost to the top leaving the edge of the pastry exposed. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and do the same with the pastry lids. Lay the lids over the pies and gently press together.
5. Brush the tops of the pies with milk and make small hole in each one with a sharp knife.
6. Bake on a high shelf in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.
7. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy hot or cold with cream or brandy butter.