Mince pies for the winter nights!! (Desserts)

Member Name: KELLY170980

Product:	Desserts
Date:	05/11/08 (360 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They are yummy and they are easy to make and you can freeze them

Disadvantages: I hate using lard but find its definalty the best thing to use

Thought with the xmas season coming up some people may be looking for a mince pie recipe to try out.


* 350g plain flour
* 75g lard
* 75g margarine or butter
* a pinch of salt
* cold water
* 700g mincemeat ( I love M&S mincemeat, any will do)
* Milk and icing sugar
* A tin (the ones you use for Yorkshire puds)

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6 or 400º F/ 200º C.

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Slice the lard into small cubes and add them to the flour.

Gently rub the pieces of fat into the flour.

When the mixture looks sort of crumbly, add 2 tablespoons of water all over.

Then start to mix, bringing the mixture together.

Add more water as you need it, a little at a time.

Then the messy bit bring all the mixture together by your hands to form a smooth ball of dough.

At this point you should try and make the bowl as clean as possible and not waste any mixture.

Get some cling film, cover the dough and pop it in the fridge for about 15 -20 mins - I normally put kettle on at this point and have a cuppa.

Get the dough back from fridge, I then cut this into two parts, one being about two thirds and the other being the rest of the dough.

You can then roll it out, I try and get it between 3-3.5 mm in thickness......but I think you can judge it yourselves...not telling anyone to get a ruler out...hehe.

You can then get your pastry cutter out and start cutting out shapes, or I have to admit to this I use a china cup I have had for years....its so silly as I have pastry cutters, but it's the way my mum taught me and its just a habit!!! Hehe!! My hubby is a chef and he finds this very annoying. I normally get about twelve cut outs from this at least.

Then get all the scraps of pastry together and re-roll along with the other part of dough you have put aside. Then do the same with this part of the pastry as above, this time use a slightly small pastry cutter or in my case a slightly smaller cup!!

Now grease the tin, I use the paper from the lard.

Put in the large pastry cut outs into the tin

Fill these with mincemeat just to the level of the pastry.

Dampen the edges of the smaller cut outs with water and press them lightly into position to form lids, sealing the edges with your thumbs.

Brush each one with milk and make about three snips in the top with a pair of scissors or stick a fork in whatever you prefer.

Bake near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes until they're a light golden-brown.

Let them cool and sprinkle with icing sugar (sifted) or you can decorate them in all sorts of other ways, ice them, put sugared orange on the top.....loads of things you can do to make them slighlty different.

Now in my house, they do not last that long as my hubby and kids always nick them off the side before they have cooled down, naughty people!!

I also do make my mince pies in a batch, and freeze quite a few.

I also put some in baskets and cover with cellophane for little pressies for neighbours, friends and work collegues.

We also have them with custard on for our pudding at least twice a week over the Christmas period.

Hope this has helps, although I suppose most people may know how to make them.

Summary: I think its nice to have homemade pies when visitors come round in the xmas period.