Christmas Mince Pies

For years it was a family competition of sorts to see who would be the first to bring home Christmas mince pies to share. When my mom started making these, the store-bought ones suddenly became so mediocre that our annual bit of fun fell away because no-one would eat them anymore!

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 12 pies

Ingredients

• QUICK FRUIT MINCEMEAT

• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter
• 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
• 100  g raisins
• 50  g sultanas
• 50  g black currants
• 50  g  candied peel
• 1  granny smith apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 1⁄3 cup  chopped  glace cherries
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 25 -50  ml brandy

• PASTRY

• 500  ml cake flour, loosely measured
• 50  ml cornflour
• 50  ml icing sugar
• 175  g butter
• 1  egg
• 2  ml vanilla extract

Directions

1. QUICK FRUIT MINCEMEAT:
2. Combine all ingredients and set aside for flavours to infuse.
3. PASTRY:
4. Sift flour, cornflour, and icing sugar.
5. Rub in the butter.
6. Beat egg and vanilla together then add, mixing well.
7. Knead into a ball without overhandling the pastry.
8. Roll out thinly on a floured board and cut into 3" rounds.
9. Reroll offcuts until all the pastry is used.
10. Place rounds in a patty pan, place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the middle of each pastry round and cover with second pastry round.
11. Press edges together with the prongs of a fork and prick each top twice.
12. Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until pale gold.
13. Leave to cool slightly before removing to cooking rack.
14. Dust lightly with icing sugar.
15. COOKS NOTE - If you don't have a patty pan, place the pies on a cookie sheet rather than in a muffin tray, which is too deep.