“It’s never too early to start baking mince pies! The aromas that fill the kitchen are wonderful and will fill your home festive cheer.
Any leftover mince pies can be crumbled over good quality vanilla ice cream with a dash of Pedro Ximenez sherry and a little orange zest to make an irresistable ‘mince pie affogato’!”
Lisa Goodwin-Allen
Northcote’s Viennese Mince Pie Recipe
Makes 12 Mince Pies
Ingredients
For the mincemeat:
2 Granny smith apples (Grated)
80g Raisins
80g Currants
80g Candied peel
110g Soft brown sugar
2tsp Mixed Spice
1tp Ground Cinnamon
80g Suet
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
pinch of salt
For the pastry:
185g Salted butter
60g Caster sugar
1 Egg
250g Plain flour
Method
For the mincemeat:
- Place all the ingredients into a medium sized pan, mix well and cook on a low heat with a lid for 10 minutes.
- Remove the mixture and place into the fridge to cool.
For the pastry:
- Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (fan assisted).
- Beat the butter and sugar together until combined
- Add the egg and mix until completely incorporated.
- Fold the flour in carefully, first using a spatula, bit by bit carefully until the pastry just comes together. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- Once the pastry has been rested, remove from the fridge and knead gently to make the pastry workable. Dust the work surface with flour and roll out to a thickness of a pound coin.
- Lightly grease the muffin tin with some melted butter or a little oil. Use the cutter to cut out 12 disks which are the same size as a muffin tin and gently ease the pastry discs into the tin. Use the tips of your fingers to guide the pastry evenly into place.
- Spoon a good spoonful of mincemeat into each pie.
- Place the remaining pastry and cut offs into a bowl of the mixer. Beat on a high speed for a couple of minutes until the pastry is light is colour and soft.
- Line a piping bag with the nozzle and place the softened pastry into the bag. Pipe a ring around the inner edge of the mince pie.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 22 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Leave the mince pies to rest for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack.
