Mince Pea Pies Recipes

Steps:

• Fry the mince in a little oil over a high heat, stirring to break up any lumps, until it's well browned all over. Transfer the mince to a plate, then fry the onion, carrots and celery in the rest of the oil over a low heat until softened. Stir in the tomato purée and crumble in the stock cube, then return the mince to the pan and give everything a good stir. Fry for a minute, then add 300ml water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 mins, then remove the lid and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the peas, then turn off the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Divide the mince mixture between four individual pie dishes (or use one large dish). Brush the dish rims with egg. Unroll the pastry and cut it into four pieces for the individual pies - roll the pieces out a little more to fit the pie dishes if you need to. Top each pie with some pastry, press down against the rim and trim any excess. Seal the edges with a fork, or crimp if you like, then brush the pastry with egg.
• Poke a little hole in the top, decorate with any offcuts if you like (brushed with a little egg), then cook for 25-30 mins or until the pastry is golden and risen. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Fry the onion, carrots and celery in the oil in a large frying pan until softened. Add the mince, increase heat and cook for 5 mins or until well browned. Stir in the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Simmer for 5 mins until the sauce has thickened slightly. Cool for 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spoon the mixture into 4 individual pie dishes or one large dish. Brush the dish rims with egg, then lay the pastry on top and trim. Seal edges with a fork and brush the pastry with more egg. Poke a little hole in the top and cook for 25-30 mins or until the pastry is golden and risen.
• Meanwhile, cook the peas in boiling water, then drain and mash with the mint sauce. Serve the pies with the hot peas on the side.

Steps:

• Place 375g plain flour and 260g softened unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together to a crumb consistency.
• Add 125g caster sugar and 1 large beaten egg, and mix together.
• Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and fold until the pastry comes together, be careful not to over mix.
• Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 10 mins.
• Scoop the large jar of mincemeat into a bowl and add 2 segmented satsumas, 1 finely chopped apple and zest of 1 lemon.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Roll out the pastry to 3mm thick.
• Using a round cutter (about 10cm), cut out 16 bases and place them into muffin trays. Put 1½ tbsp mincemeat mixture into each. Brush the edge of each pie with a little beaten egg.
• Re-roll out the pastry to cut 7cm lids and press them on top to seal. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the extra caster sugar, then make a small cut in the tops.
• Bake the mince pies for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before releasing them from the muffin trays and dusting with a little more icing sugar before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine apples, brown sugar, raisins, golden raisins, currants, orange peel, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, mace, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Mix together and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn the heat down to the lowest setting on your stovetop. Simmer, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the heat and leave to cool while you prepare your pastry.
• Unroll pie crusts onto a flat surface. Cut into 24 circles using a cookie cutter or the bottom of a mug.
• Place a circle into the bottom of each cup of a 12-cup cupcake tin. Fill each of the pastry circles with fruit filling. Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg and cover with the remaining circles. Brush all of the mince pies with more beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., For filling, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apples, apricot, brown sugar, raisins, apple juice, vinegar, orange zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until apples are tender, 15-17 minutes. Stir in rum. Remove from heat; cool slightly., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut 20 circles with a floured 2-3/4-in. round biscuit cutter. Top half the circles with 1 tablespoon filling. Top with remaining circles; press edges with a fork to seal. Cut slits in top. Brush tops with egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Mince pies freeze very well, taking some of the headache out of all that Christmas preparation. If I make lots of these before Christmas, I freeze them raw and then cook them on the day. Cooked mince pies can be stored in a biscuit tin or airtight box and warmed through gently before serving. They are perfect with a glass of spicy mulled wine or a cup of coffee for a festive snack.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/Gas mark 6. Brush the tin with melted butter.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch/3 mm thick and, using the 2 1/2-inches/6 cm cutter, cut out 24 circles for the bases. Then use the smaller plain/fluted cutter or star cutter to cut-out 24 circles/stars for the lids. Re-roll the trimmings, if necessary.
• Line the holes of the cake tin with the larger pastry rounds. Fill each base with a teaspoon mincemeat and top with one of the smaller rounds or stars. Brush the tops of the mince pies with the beaten egg.
• Bake in the oven for 10 to 13 minutes until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar (confectioners') to serve.
• This basic pastry is used in many popular recipes, from mince pies to quiches; it's also one of the easiest pastries to start with. The uncooked dough can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
• Shortcrust Pastry:
• Put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and whiz briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 3/4-inch/2 cm thick, then wrap in cling film or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Variations: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon icing sugar (confectioners'). Soured cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring it together.
• This delicious mincemeat will keep happily in a cool dark place for at least a year. If you are making your own suet (the fat that surrounds the beef kidney), make sure that every trace of blood has been removed before you whiz it in the food processor, otherwise it will cause the mincemeat to go off.
• Mincemeat:
• Put the apple chunks in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon water, cover and cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until the apples are cooked down to a pulp. Allow to cool.
• Mix the apples with the orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, suet, raisins, sultanas, currants, candied peel, dark brown sugar, almonds, mixed spice, and whiskey in a large bowl and put into sterilized jars.* Leave to mature, if possible for at least 2 weeks before using.
• Cut the fruit in 1/2 and squeeze out the juice. (Reserve the juice for another use, perhaps home-made lemonade.) Put the peel into a large bowl, add the salt and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 24 hours.
• Next day, throw away the soaking water; put the peel in a large saucepan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about 3 hours or until the peel is soft.
• Remove the peel from the pan and discard the water. Scrape out any remaining flesh and membrane from inside the cut fruit, using a teaspoon, leaving the white pith and rind intact.
• In a clean large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1 3/4 pints/1 litre of water, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer gently for 30 to 60 minutes until it looks translucent (shiny and 'candied') and the syrup forms a thread when the last drop falls off a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 20 to 30 minutes to slightly cool.
• Put the candied peel into sterilized glass jars* and pour the syrup over. Cover and store in a cold place or in the refrigerator. It should keep, stored like this, for at least 3 months.