Homemade Mince Pies

This year, for the first time, I made proper homemade mince pies. I am talking mincemeat and pastry people.  And what's more?  They turned out pretty damn good.  Hooray!

I used Delia Smith's mincemeat recipe a few weeks ago and stored it in kilner jars.  I used vegetable suet as Mani is vegetarian and to be perfectly honest I preferred the thought of using vegetarian suet too even though I am a carnivore!  I used a pastry recipe from Delicious magazine but added some ground almonds, orange juice and cinnamon too.  The almonds are supposed to make the pastry last that much longer.

 

I chilled my pastry for about 45 minutes and rolled it out quite thin, cut out small circles using a glass and pressed them into a greased 12 hole tin (approx 6cm x 2cm each) which I picked up from Cargo.  I put a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each and covered some with a lid and others with just stars.  I then brushed with beaten egg and sprinkled with caster sugar.  I used a fork to crimp the edges.  Once they had cooled I dusted them with icing sugar.

 

 

I am so super chuffed with how they turned out - the only thing is I am going to have to make some more as I have demolished most of them off already - they are only small!!

Totally worth the time and effort and what I love most is that these homemade mince pies taste SO much better than shop-bought ones.  Seriously, there is no comparison.  So go and do it.  Make something homemade this Christmas.

Happy Friday!