Mince pies recipe

Mince pies

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Eric Lanlard

Makes 6 | prep 30 mins, plus 48 hrs marinating | total time 1 hr, plus cooling

Ingredients

Get ahead

Make the mincemeat up to a month ahead; store in a cool, dark place

For the mincemeat, tip the dried fruit and spices into a bowl and mix well. Put the orange and lemon zest, butter, sugar and amaretto in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved – don't let the mixture boil. Pour this over the dried fruit mixture and stir gently, without breaking up the fruit.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave for 48 hours. If not using straightaway, pack the mincemeat into sterilised jars and seal.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease 6 x 10cm loose-bottomed tartlet tins. Roll out the shortcrust pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use it to line the tartlet tins.
Generously fill the pastry cases with the mincemeat – you will use about 500g. Roll out the puff pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface. Using a star cutter (or a different shaped cutter, if you like), cut out 6 stars and place on the mincemeat. Brush the stars with beaten egg and sprinkle with the light muscovado sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the stars have puffed up. Dust with icing sugar.
Watch this...

Eric Lanlard's mince pie tips