We all love a good mince pie right? The alluring aromas of mincemeat drifting through the house, the ritual of making beautiful, flaky short pastry…well, perhaps none of the above, if you usually get your seasonal treats from the supermarket, but with Lockdown 2.0 upon us, maybe it’s time to give it try?

Chef Oliver Joyce from Rowhill Grange has been feeling especially festive, and has shared his soothing simple recipe for marvellous mince pies with us.

Shopping List

For the mincemeat:

450g raisins

450g sultanas

250g butter

250g dark soft brown sugar

250g chopped mixed nuts

150g diced fresh apples

150g glacé cherries

200g vegetable suet

3x Juice and zest of 3 lemons

2x splashes of calvados

2x splashes of brandy

 

For the sweet sable pastry:

250g plain flour

1x egg yolk

1x egg

1x lemon zest

125g butter unsalted

100g icing sugar

The Festive Ritual

For the mincemeat soak the fruit in the alcohol overnight and then melt the sugar over a low heat with the butter. Peel and dice the apples into fine dice, adding the lemon juice and zest to stop them discolouring and add to the pan. Then add the steeped fruits to the melted butter & sugar, stirring gently with a wooden spoon (purely for the cosiness of it all), then add the nuts (I suggest chopped Brazils, hazelnuts and peeled roasted almonds). Finally, add the vegetable suet (if it doesn’t come grated, you can freeze and then grate and then add).

The mincemeat can be stored in a airtight jar until required.

For the pastry

Cream the butter and sugar together add egg and flour bit by bit until a sticky dough is formed. Divide the mixture into halves and wrap in cling before putting the in the fridge to cool and set .

To make the pies, grease a 12 insert muffin tray with an oil spray.

Roll out the pastry nice and thin and cut with a pastry cutter into discs. Pop into the muffin dish and fill with a spoonfuls of mincemeat. Cover with a small discs of pastry and seal the edges and glaze the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and grated nutmeg and bake until golden brown for around 12-14 mins at 170oc.

Allow to cool slightly and remove from the tin. Dust with icing and scoff them!