CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES
Pastry:
This is the most popular and basic pastry. It’s easy to make and is used mainly as a tart or quiche base.
Rub 150 g cold butter cubes into 250 g cake flour and 5 ml salt.
Stir in one beaten egg yolk and about 60 ml cold water to make a soft, but not sticky, dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out to use.
For a simpler pastry, leave out the egg and use a little extra water.
Add 80 ml castor sugar to the flour for a sweet pastry.
484 g jar fruit mincemeat
1 egg white
castor sugar
Roll out pastry to a thickness of 3mm. Cut out rounds to fit base of patty pan tins or bun tins. Cut the same number of smaller circles to form the lids of pies.
Place 5ml fruit mince on the base of each pastry.
Dampen pastry edge with water, cover with lid, and seal. Prick holes in the lid with a fork or make a small incision with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush withe lightly beaten egg white or iced water.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC (400ºF) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with castor sugar while still warm
Makes 16 pies.
TIP: Place a small piece of unsalted butter into fruit pies to prevent juice from running out when baking.
Mince pies freeze well!
Recipe posted by Diane Roode Hancox
Photo: Petro van Genderen
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