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classic mince pies
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Classic Mince Pies

You can't beat a batch of classic mince pies at Christmas! These ones feature homemade mincemeat, buttery pastry & a crisp demerara sugar top.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: English
Servings: 12 Mince Pies
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Rolling Pin
  • Pastry Brush
  • 12 Hole Muffin Tray
  • Palette Knife
  • Round Pastry Cutters 9.5cm & 7.5cm

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry

  • 300 g Plain Flour
  • 90 g Icing Sugar
  • ½ tsp Table Salt
  • 1 Orange, Zested
  • 175 g Unsalted Butter Chilled
  • 35 g Egg Yolks
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Paste

Filling

  • 400 g Mincemeat See Notes

Assembly

  • 20 g Unsalted Butter Melted
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 3 tsp Demerara Sugar

Instructions

Sweet Pastry

  • Sift the flour, icing sugar & salt into a large mixing bowl then add in the orange zest.
  • Cut the butter into small pieces, add into the flour, then rub in with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs with some large pieces of butter still visible.
  • Add the egg yolks & vanilla paste into the flour then mix with your hands until the pastry starts to come together. Tip out onto a clean worksurface & gently knead until you have a smooth dough (be careful not to overwork).
  • Flatten the pastry into a disc, wrap in clingfilm & refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Assembly

  • Take the pastry out of the fridge & leave to warm up slightly at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  • In the meantime, make an egg wash by whisking together the egg yolk & 1 tsp of cold water.
  • Brush a 12 hole muffin tray with the melted butter & set aside.
  • Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm then cut out 12 circles using a 9½ cm cutter & another 12 with the 7½ cutter.
    Knead together the pastry trimmings & re roll if necessary.
    The larger pastry circles are for the bases & the smaller ones are the lids.
  • Gently press the larger circles of pastry into the muffin tray, making sure that the pastry reaches the top of each hole.
  • Spoon an equal amount of filling into each mince pie then brush a light layer of egg wash around the pastry's top edge.
  • Place a pastry lid onto the top of each pie then press down to seal. Lightly brush the lids with egg wash then place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
  • Take the mince pies out of the fridge & brush on another light layer of egg wash.
  • Using a knife, cut a small cross in the middle of each lid then sprinkle over the demerara sugar.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp & golden brown.
  • Leave the mince pies to cool slightly in the tray then lift them out with a small palette knife & transfer to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.

Notes

1. Cooking In An Aga - Bake the mince pies for 25-30 minutes in the baking oven on the second from bottom set of runners. 
2. Mincemeat - For this recipe, you can use shop bought mincemeat or make your own. My homemade mincemeat recipe can be found here.
3. Storage - Once cool, store the mince pies in an airtight container. They are best eaten within 3 days of being made.
4. Pastry - The pastry can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before being rolled out. Alternatively, store in the freezer then defrost in the fridge before using.