No Need For Pastry School With These Simple Mince Pies

You don’t need to go to pastry school to make these pies!

For a simple switch, use the same mincemeat, but with filo pastry, instead of short crust.

I always buy the filo pastry from the supermarket store, and freeze it, and then it’s at hand when you need it, and it’s much lower in calories.

I’ve made both this year and as you can see from the photo’s I use indoor sparklers for the mincemeat parcels, (kids love them) which you can buy on line from http://www.thelastdetail.co.uk/


They’ve got loads of good ideas for the Christmas table. I’ve only done one Christmas shopping trip this year (and that was for cards) everything else was done on line.
It’s so much less stressful and cheaper!
Merry Christmas!

Makes 16 Mince pies
Prep Time 30 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins

Ingredients for the mincemeat pies with short crust pastry

• 250g Plain (all purpose flour)
• 125g Low fat butter spread (I used "I can’t Believe it’s not Butter") cut into small pieces
• 50g Caster Sugar
• Zest of one orange
• Juice of one orange
• 170g Mincemeat (any brand will do)
• 50g Glace cherries, finely chopped
• 25g Cranberries, finely chopped (shop bought in packet)
• 1 Apple, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped
• 15g Flaked almonds
• Milk or beaten egg for glazing

Method

• Mix the cherries, cranberries, apple and flaked almonds into the mincemeat, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Meanwhile make the pastry
• Sieve the flour into a large bowl
• Add the sugar and low fat spread
• Lightly rub the spread into the flour and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs
• Add the orange zest and finally the orange juice a little at a time to bind it all together in to a ball
• Place in a bowl and cover with cling film, refrigerate for about 30 minutes to rest
• Lightly grease a 16 hole bun tin
• After 30 minutes the pastry is ready to roll out
• Sieve a little flour onto a clean work surface
• Cut one third of the pastry off and set aside
• Form the remaining two thirds back into a ball and roll out fairly thinly
• Cut 16 bases out and lay in the bun tins, pressing gently into place
• Roll out the last third of pastry and using a slightly smaller pastry cutter, cut out the 16 tops
• Spoon a teaspoonful of mincemeat into each pastry case
• Brush a little water around the edges and press the lids on top
• Brush the pies with milk or beaten egg
• Make one or two slits in the top to allow the steam to escape
• Sprinkle a little caster sugar over the top
• Bake in a pre heated oven 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 for 15 to 20 minutes

Topping

• When pies are cool, sprinkle a little icing sugar over the top

Cook's tips

• Check the pies at 15 minutes, if not golden bake for another 5 minutes

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• 16 hole bun tin

Shopping List

• 250g Plain (all purpose flour)
• 125g Low fat butter spread
• 50g Caster Sugar
• One orange
• 170g Mincemeat
• 50g Glace cherries
• 25g Cranberries
• 1 Apple
• 15g Flaked almonds
• Milk or egg

Makes 8 Mince pies
Prep Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 20 mins

Ingredients for the mincemeat pies with filo pastry

• One packet 270g Filo pastry
• Mincemeat as previous recipe

Method

• Sieve a little plain (all purpose flour) onto a clean worktop
• Unroll the pastry sheets and cut into 15cm/6 inch squares
• Take 3 sheets and lay each sheet on top of each other to make a 12 pointed star
• Spoon a dessertspoonful of mincemeat in the centre of the pastry
• Brush a little melted low fat butter spread on the edges
• Carefully bring the edges together to form a parcel shape and pinch together
• Transfer the pies to a baking tray
• Brush a little low fat butter spread over the pies
• Bake in a pre heated oven 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 for 15 to 20 minutes until golden
• Allow to cool, then sprinkle a little icing sugar over the top
• Gently insert a sparkler into the top of the pie and light

Cook's tips

• You’ll find you have some odd shapes left after you’ve cut the 15cm/6 inch squares out, just use these to make up more 15cm/6 inch squares, you won’t notice when they form a parcel shape

Equipment

• Baking tray

Shopping List

• One packet 270g Filo pastry
• Mincemeat as previous recipe
• A little melted low fat butter spread for glazing

 Print This Post