Christmas Eve morning Number 2 let me have a lovely lie-in this morning (6.45) and it is a beautiful Christmas Eve morning - sun sparkling on white snow, carols playing - but Number 2 is now disgruntled and so am I. I decided to do a quick blog check this morning and in spite of loads of tries Wordpress won't accept my password and they won't let me reset, so I have moved here, but how traumatizing! Number 2 very angry with me for ignoring him while doing all this so proceeded to pull apart my Christmas cactus, so is now confined to his room for a little while.I made some mince pies yesterday but the less said about them the better, today will try something else to use up the mincemeat (mincemeat brownies, perhaps?), make sure I know where I have hidden all presents, bake cookies for Santa, and try not to let Number 2 drive me insane.
6:58:00 AM
by Dawn
by Dawn
This is the recipe I used and is great and very easy, hope this helps.
ReplyDelete225g cold butter , diced
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg , beaten
icing sugar , to dust
To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies.
Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.