My Super Easy Mince Pies Recipe

Mince pies are the ultimate Christmas treat, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without them. They're best eaten hot from the oven with lots of double cream, it’s allowed, it’s Christmas.

Prepare to really lap up the brownie points this Christmas when your guests see that you've made the delicious crumbly pastry too, using this winning mince pies recipe. This recipe makes around 15 – 20 mince pies depending on how thickly you roll the pastry.

To make mince pies you’ll need:

Pastry:

• 225g plain flour

• pinch of salt

• 100g margarine

• 30ml cold water

Mince Pies:

• 114g mincemeat

• 1 orange

• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar

• Milk for glazing

Step 1: making shortcrust pastry

Making shortcrust pastry is so, so easy and it makes the world of difference to your mince pies. If you want that authentic homemade look, try making your own

1) Start by adding the flour and salt to a bowl and rub in the margarine with your fingers until you achieve a breadcrumb consistency

2) Add the water gradually while using a knife to work the mixture into pastry. Keep adding the water and mix together until you have a firm, not sticky dough

3) Chill the pastry for 30 minutes, if you've got time before your guests arrive

4) Put the pastry dough on a flour dusted surface and knead the pastry lightly

Tip: Before you start handling the pastry, run your hands under cold water for about a minute. The key to kneading and rolling out pastry is keeping it cool

5) Roll the dough out to about pound coin thickness

Part 2: Making mince pies!

1) Pre-heat your oven to 190C and grease a cupcake baking tray

2) From your rolled out pastry, cut out 15 pie bases and 15 pie tops, the bases will of course need to be larger than the tops. Line your cupcake tins with your pastry bases

3) Add the zest and juice from one orange into your mincemeat and mix it all together. Drop a teaspoon of mincemeat to each pie base

4) Dampen the edges of each pie base and stick on the tops, pressing down around the edges so that they stick together

5) Add a festive holly leaf shape to the tops of your pies, using a holly cutter to create the shapes with your left over pastry

Mince pies in a baking tray getting their finishing touches before going into the oven

6) Create two small slits in each pie top

Tip: I used the end of a cheese knife to create mine super quickly, the two prongs created perfectly uniformed slits.

7) Brush the tops of the pies with milk and sprinkle on a little golden caster sugar

8) Place in the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown

And they’re ready to eat, I like to eat mine warm with cream drizzled over the top and with a glass of mulled wine. How do you like yours? Let me know over on Instagram