Mince Pies

Have a go at making your own, they taste so much better x

240 g plain flour

60 g vegetable fat (Trex)

60 g unsalted butter

1 medium orange

small pinch of salt

1 tbls water

caster sugar for decoration

Jar of mince meat

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to to gas mark 7/200 Fahrenheit. Cut into small pieces the vegetable fat and butter, and place into the flour in a dish. Put this into the freezer for 15 minutes. Squeeze the juice of the orange, 1 tbls of water and add a pinch of salt, leave to the side. Take out the flour/fat mixture from the freezer and use your finger tips to crumble this together until it resembles a fine breadcrumb texture.

Now add the orange mixture to the flour/fat,  and use a knife to mix this in a chopping motion for around 30 seconds. Using the hands form this into a ball of dough as quick as possible. Place this in cling film and put into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread some butter around each patty tin to stop the pastry from sticking. Take the pastry out of the fridge and flour a clean surface. Use a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a thickness of around 1-2 cm. Use pastry cutters and cut out 12 bases and 12 tops (slightly smaller). Roll the pastry out again if you need too. Place the 12 bases in the tin, use a teaspoon of mince meat out the jar into each one. Beat one egg and brush around the edges. Next, place the 12 smaller pastry discs on the tops, pressing down the edges. The egg wash will secure them. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep a watchful eye though because all ovens temperatures are different.

Once golden brown and cooked to perfection, eat with custard or cream.

The pastry will be light and flaky.