The early mince pie was also known as a mutton pie or a Christmas pie and was filled with meat, such as lamb, beef and game, rather than the dried fruit mix they are today.

Of course, you could always simply dust them with icing sugar and serve with a sprig of holly, while throwing another log on the fire and listening to Silent Night. I made mince pies - from scratch - for the first time, after being inspired by the Great British Bake Off. Unwrap the pastry and roll out on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of a one pound coin.Through our rigorous oven lab tests we found that some models don’t evenly spread heat as you’d hope, causing uneven browning. Brush the rims of the pastry cases with a little beaten egg and press the lids on, pressing the edges with the ends of a fork to seal shut. Bake at 180C/fan oven 170C/gas mark 4 for 30-40 minutes, cool slightly and serve with a dusting of icing sugar, or with rum butter and vanilla ice cream. Add all ingredients to bowl starting on lowest speed first (or the room will be engulfed by sugar dust!

The pies slipped out easily (no greasing needed), with no sticking, and the "holes" were the right depth for the amount of filling one puts in mince pies. Press the pastry into the muffin cups and fill each one with a good helping of the mincemeat mixture, so that it reaches three-quarters of the way up the side of the pastry-lined cup. But even though they have been on the festive menu for years (traceable back to the 13th century), many people actually don’t know how to make them. Fill each pastry case with mincemeat and then cut a further 12 rounds of pastry (this time one size smaller).With a fluted pastry cutter, cut out 6 x 8cm/3¼ in pastry circles for the lids (slightly bigger than the top of the muffin cups). Using a table knife, stir in the beaten egg mixture to make a rough dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured board and bring together into a ball. We check everything from the heat supply to how easy it is to use; read our oven reviews to ensure you get the most out of our baking. Make sure your hands are nice and cold when you're rubbing in the fat with the flour by running very cold water over the pulse points in your wrists. Sprinkling almonds on the top with either apricot jam or a dusting of icing sugar makes for a very good looking mince pie.

If you’re trying to stick to your health regime even over the Christmas period then these could be perfect for you. The amount of water needed will depend on the type of flour and fat used, so just add a little each time. Outlets and voltage differ internationally and this product may require an adapter or converter for use in your destination. Brush a little beaten egg around the base of the lid and stick it down onto the pie edge, pressing gently to seal. Mulled wine, port, hot chocolate (family-friendly or with a splash of rum), sloe or damson gin are always well received with mince pies – as is a nice cup of refreshing Earl Grey tea.I usually use tartlet tins for mince pies, but I shall try them in this one on the recommendation of the other reviewers. If you’ve got the hang of easy mince pies and you want to add a little something to impress your guests at Christmas dinner, why not try making mince pies with this delicious Austrian sweet pastry? Don't be tempted to eat your pies too quickly as the filling will be molten and will burn your mouth. Nuts - Depending on what your tastes are, adding almonds, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts will all work with your mincemeat. Equipment and preparation: You will need a deep muffin mould with 12 holes, a round pastry cutter and a fluted pastry cutter.

I take the mince pies out of the foil and sit them on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper before heating, as this makes the pastry extra crisp. Nowadays, the classic mincemeat ingredients are a lot sweeter and include a variety of fruits such as apples, dried raisins, lemon, currants and brandy. You can easily place the pastry in the bottom, fill it with whatever type of pie filling you are using and then top it off with a "pastry lid" of your choosing including cutouts or two cross strips of pastry. Using the uncooked pastry shells, evenly apply around 400g mincemeat for the large tart or 50g to individual tarts and smooth the top.You can stretch out the recipe a little further by cutting star tops instead of sealing the pies completely. and gradually increase the speed to fastest and mix for five minutes, until the mixture lightens in colour and texture. On the cold front, it’s hard to beat a scoop of soft vanilla ice cream, with the lovely black seeds from the pod visible.