Homemade Mince Pies.

on
  • Course:
  • Cuisine
  • Prep time: minutes
  • Cook time: minutes
  • Total time: minutes

Enjoy Delicious REAL Bread without Worrying about Your Health, Your Blood Sugar... or Your Waistline!

INGREDIENTS:

MAKES 36
  • 175g/6oz/1½ cups finely chopped blanched almonds
  • 150g/5oz/generous ½ cup ready-to-eat dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 175g/6oz/generous 1 cup raisins
  • 150g/5oz/⅔ cup currants
  • 150g/5oz/¾ cup glacé (candied) cherries, chopped
  • 150g/5oz/¾ cup cut mixed (candied) peel, chopped
  • 115g/4oz/1 cup finely chopped beef suet
  • Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
  • Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
  • 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup soft dark brown sugar
  • 4 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 10ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 5ml/1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2.5ml/½ tsp ground cloves
  • 250ml/8fl oz/1 cup brandy
  • 225g/8oz/1 cup cream cheese 
  • 30ml/2 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
  • Icing (confectioners' sugar, for dusting
FOR THE PASTRY
  • 425g/15oz/3½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 150g/5oz/1¼ cups icing (confectioners') sugar 
  • 350g/12oz/1½ cups cold butter, cut in pieces 
  • Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
  • Milk, for glazing

STEPS:

  1. Mix the nuts, dried and preserved fruit, suet, citrus rind and juice, brown sugar, apples and spices.Stir in the brandy. Cover and leave in a cool place for 2 days.
  2. For the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the orange rind. Stir in just enough orange juice to bind. Gather into a ball, wrap in baking parchment and chill for at least 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/ Gas 7. Grease two or three bun trays. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar.
  5. Roll out the pastry 5mm/¼ in thick. With a fluted pastry cutter, stamp out 36, 8cm/3in rounds.
  6. Transfer the rounds to the bun tray. Fill halfway with mincemeat. Top with a teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture.
  7. Roll out the remaining pastry and stamp out 36, 5cm/2in rounds with a fluted cutter. Brush the edges of the pies with milk, then set the rounds on top. Cut a small steam vent in the top of each pie.
  8. Brush lightly with milk. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out. Dust with icing sugar, if you like.

COOK'S TIP

The mincemeat mixture may be packed into sterilized jars and sealed. It will keep refrigerated for several months. Add a few tablespoonfuls to give apple pies a lift, or make small mincemeat filled parcels using filo pastry.