INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Yield: 24-36 pies

Make the Pâte Sucrée.

Mincemeat

225g/8oz vegetarian suet
225g/8oz Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
125g/4oz candied peel, chopped*
225g/8oz sultanas*
225g/8oz raisins*
225g/8oz currants*
175g/6oz dark brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice*
1 orange & 1 lemon, zest and juice
60ml/2fl oz brandy (optional)

Mixed Spice – Ground

1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp coriander (optional)
3/4 tsp mace (optional)

Powdered/Icing sugar, for dusting

You will need a muffin baking pan, preferably nonstick.

Pastry Brush.

A round pastry cutter.

A star cookie cutter about the diameter of the muffin pan. (Optional)

Tips

For candied peel, I like to use dried oranges and cut the rind into small bits.

You need 675g of dried fruit. Feel to use anything you like: cherries, cranberries, apricots, pineapple… Chop everything into small bits.

Don’t get hung up on exact measurements when cutting out the dough. Just make sure it’s enough to fill the muffin tin.

STEP 1

To make the mincemeat, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to stand overnight for the fruit to absorb the juice and brandy. You can use the mincemeat the following day, or store in jars for later.

STEP 2

To store it for later, sterilize three jars. You can run them through the dishwasher. Alternatively wash the jars in hot, soapy water, rinse thoroughly, then put them on a baking tray (rim side up). Dry them in an oven at 110C/100C Fan/Gas ¼ for 15 minutes. To sterilize the lids, put them in a small saucepan of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

Keep the mincemeat in a cool dry place, or in the fridge until ready to use.

If omitting the brandy, store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer for 3 months.

STEP 3 – MAKE THE PIES

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. 

Roll out the pastry to approximately a 3mm/1/8in thickness. With a round pastry cutter, cut out 6 x 9cm/3½in discs of pastry. Press the pastry into the muffin cups and fill each one with a good helping of the mincemeat mixture, so that it reaches three-quarters of the way up the side of the pastry-lined cup.

With the round pastry cutter, cut out 6 x 8cm/3¼ in pastry circles for the lids (slightly bigger than the top of the muffin cups). Place a lid on top of each pie and gently push down.

Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tsp water. Brush onto the top of each pie. Don’t go crazy – just 1 swipe avoiding the edges of the pastry. Dust with regular white sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Dust with powdered/icing sugar.