Fuss free homemade mince pies
Amidst the Christmas craziness of launching the FFF website, my clips airing on the Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas, I found time to welcome Jamie from Made TV into my kitchen!
After agreeing for him to cook with me, I had a slight panic about letting them all into my home…my sanctuary …..for all to see! But I needn’t have worried. Jamie, Ingrid and Tom were a pleasure to work and we were soon relaxed enough to be getting our hands into the same mixing bowl like we’d know each other for years!
Jamie made no bones about the fact that he’s not much of a baker, and comes from a long line of non-bakers. It was at this point I was wondering how the next few hours were going to pan out!
I believe enthusiasm in the kitchen makes up for any lack of skill …and Jamie was no exception! As he discovered new things you could just see his mind being blown…. who knew that the flecks in the mincemeat were suet and not rice?!! I could see we were starting to open Jamie up to the magic of the culinary world…
Being from a similar part of the world, we established that despite the decades between us, we had a few things in common. It turns out he shares my annoyance for chefs on TV who don’t fully scrape out a bowl when demonstrating a recipe …the others I shall reveal over the next few posts alongside the next cooking instalments!
So here is the recipe I cook with Jamie … Mince pies. If you have any questions or comments please come and find me on The Fuss Free Foodie Facebook page. Remember to like and follow so you don’t miss the next cracking Christmas recipes we cook together! Merry Christmas!! Lisa
Mince pies with homemade pastry
- 340g plain flour
- 200g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp. caster sugar
- 2 large free range egg yolks
- 500g of mincemeat for mince pies
- 1 whole egg, beaten
- Pinch of salt
- 3-4 tbsps. water
- Extra flour for dusting
- Rolling pin, cake tray (12), 10cm round cutter, 7cm star cutter
- Preheat the oven to 200degC
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt
- Add the butter to the flour and rub it in the flour using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs
- Stir in the caster sugar, then the egg yolks. Mix with a knife. Add 3-4 tbsp, mix with a knife until you can pull it together into a dough
- Press the dough into a flat oval, then wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 10 minutes
- Roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick using a rolling pin. Use a 10cm fluted cutter to cut out about 12 bases and place them in small cupcake tray, pushing the pastry down into the edges of the tray
- Put about 1 tsp of mincemeat into the pastry case (don’t be tempted to overfill the case!) Cut out the top of the mince pies with a 7cm pastry star. If you need more stars, pull the pastry back together and roll it out again to 3mm. Brush each mince pie with a little-beaten egg
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tray. Then take out and place on a plate or bag up for edible Christmas gifts!
Jamie does Christmas Rocky Road