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plate of mince pies, under a red plate and christmas garland on the side

Most Delicious Mince Pies

Simona
One of the most Christmas-sy recipe from the UK, most delicious mince pies.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Sweet
Cuisine English

Ingredients
  

  • 240 g plain flour
  • 120 g cold butter
  • juice of 3 clementines
  • pinch of salt
  • 350 g mincemeat
  • icing sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Start by measuring the flour in a ziplock bag, then add the butter using a teaspoon, a dollop at the time. Seal the bag and shake well to cover the butter, then place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the clementine juice and salt, and leave in the fridge.
  • In the bowl of your food processor, place the flour and butter you have previously stored in the freezer and blitz until it starts coming together, then add very slowly the clementine juice, until the dough starts coming together.
  • Place the mixture on a work surface and combine the dough using your hands. Cover the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  • Once the time is up, start rolling a piece of the dough (place the rest back in the fridge) as thinly as you can so that you have a light but sturdy pastry case.
  • Cut the pastry using a circle cookie cutter and place in the tart tins, making sure they are slightly wider than the actual case, press the pastry gently into the mould and fill with the mincemeat.
  • Decorate the top with either an extra disc or a star, as I did, and place lightly on the mincemeat.
  • Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, and make sure to keep an eye on them as they are very quick to bake.
  • Dust with icing sugar and serve hot from the oven. If serving later, they can be reheated slightly, but make sure the icing sugar goes on after being heated.

Notes

They keep for a week, make sure they are stored in an airtight container. They also freeze well and keep for up to 3 months: make sure to defrost overnight and reheat before serving.