Mince Pies
The combination of melt-in-the-mouth pastry and rich fruit make mince pies a strong contender for the ultimate Christmas bake. These star-shaped festive treats are packed with an indulgent fruity filling and plenty of ground cinnamon to bring out the quintessential Christmas flavours. These are irresistible with a dollop of cream!
Top tips: Add a sprinkle of Schwartz cinnamon and a little grated orange zest to your pastry to make it extra Christmassy. These mince pies can be kept in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or can be frozen and re-heated to be served warm.
Ingredients
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.
Dust work surface, pastry and rolling pin with flour, then roll out pastry to a thickness of around 3mm. Use a large circular cutter cut 24 bases and using a star shaped cutter cut 24 lids. Remember to re-roll any spare pastry to cut extra bases and star shapes until you have used it all up.
Press bases into a greased or non-stick patty tin. Mix the mincemeat with the Cinnamon and add 1 tsp to each base, ensuring not to overfill to prevent mincemeat bubbling over the pastry.
Place pastry stars on top of the bases, and press to gently seal the edges. Brush the stars and edges with the milk, before cooking in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and dust with icing sugar if desired.