Angela’s mince pies

Angela’s mince pies

Our 2014 mince pie challenge winner Angela Perkins shares her homemade, traditional recipe.

Angela’s mince pies

  • Serves icon Makes 12 pies (and 1.8kg mincemeat)
  • Time icon Hands on time 30 min; oven time 3 hours 20 min;

Our 2014 mince pie challenge winner Angela Perkins shares her homemade, traditional recipe.

Ingredients

For the mincemeat

  • 2 bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 200g suet
  • 350g raisins
  • 230g sultanas
  • 230g currants
  • 230g light brown sugar
  • zest and juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons
  • 50g whole, blanched almonds, roughly chopped
  • 4 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 6 tbsp port
  • 4 tbsp brandy

For the pastry 

  • 220g flour
  • generous pinch fine sea salt
  • 110g butter
  • 1 medium free range egg yolk, plus 1 whole egg, beaten, for glazing

You will also need waxed discs (from lakeland.co.uk) and sterilised jars (see know-how) for the leftover mincemeat.

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Method

  1. Mix all the mincemeat ingredients together apart from the brandy in a large bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to infuse for 12 hours.  
  2. Heat the oven to 120C/fan100C/gas ½. After infusing, spread the mincemeat on a large tray and cover with foil, in a cool oven for 3 hours to allow the suet to melt. When cool stir in the 4 tablespoons of brandy. Spoon mixture into sterilised jars, cover with wax discs and seal (see know how). 
  3. For the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  4. Mix in the egg yolk and just enough cold water to form a smooth, but not damp, dough. Bring the pastry together then shape into a disc and wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes.
  5. Heat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 mm thick and punch 12 x 8cm circles, and 12 x 7cm circles with a serrated-edged cookie cutter out of the pastry. Line a 12 hole mince pie tin with the larger circles. Spoon in roughly 35g/2 tbsp mincemeat and push down then top with the smaller circles. Brush with the beaten eggs and bake for 17-20 min or until golden, crisp and bubbling.

delicious. tips

  1. The mincemeat will keep for up to a year in a sterilised jar.

    Freeze the baked mince pies for up to 3 months; defrost, then warm in the oven at 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 for 7 minutes to serve.

  2. To sterilise jars, wash them in warm soapy water then heat in an oven at 120°C/fan100°C/gas ½ for 30 minutes.

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