Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry:
200g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp of water
pinch of salt
500g ready-made mincemeat filling, or to make it yourself…
For homemade mincemeat:
175g raisins
120g sultanas
120g currants
50g mixed peel
50g orange peel
175g brown sugar
225g green apples, grated
115g shredded vegetable suet
1 orange, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice
25g roasted sunflower seeds, chopped
25g roasted pumpkin seeds, chopped
10g mixed spice
1tsp ground nutmeg
Key Equipment
Individual tart shells
Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Baking tray (if making mincemeat)
Method
If you are making your own mincemeat, you’ll need to start this the night before. Mix all the ingredients together in a large baking dish or tray. Cover and leave to stand overnight. In the morning, preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F, cover the tray with foil and place in the oven for 1-2 hours.
To make the pastry, place the shortcrust ingredients in a food processor, and blend well until you get a smooth dough. Place in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes before using.
Once the dough is cold, tip it out onto a work surface, and begin rolling it out. Keep rolling until the dough is even, and around 2-3cm thick. Form the dough into your tart shells.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Par bake the pastry shells in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the shells start to brown.
Remove the pastry shells and let them cool slightly. Spoon your mincemeat filling (whether you’ve bought it in the shop or made it yourself) into the pastry.
Cut more shortcrust pastry to seal the tops of the pies - you can cover/seal them completely (the traditional way) or could choose to use a decorative pastry piece like in the picture at the top. Place the pies back in the oven and bake for 12 more minutes, until golden and perfectly baked. Remove, and enjoy!
We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!