Food with Attitude

Make these truly delicious Christmas treats and watch them disappear like hot cakes! You will need a 12 hole non-stick bun tin.

• You will need a 12 hole non-stick bun tin
• Makes 8-10 mince pies

Mincemeat Filling (makes 3llb / 1.35kg)

225g (8oz) Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored and chopped (these apples are best because of their drier texture)
110g (4oz) shredded suet
395g (14oz) dried mixed fruit
110g (4oz) candied peel, finely chopped
175g (6oz) dark brown sugar
Zest and juice of one orange
Zest and juice of one lemon
25g (1oz) finely chopped almonds
2 teaspoons mixed spice
½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons Teacher’s Whisky

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients, with the exception of the Teacher’s, in an oven proof bowl.
2. Cover with a muslin cloth and leave to infused for 12 hours, or overnight in a cool place.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 120ºC.
4. Remove the muslin cloth and loosely cover the bowl with tin foil and put in the oven.
5. Leave the mixture to heat through for 3 hours to let the flavours develop, then take out of the oven to cool, stirring periodically to help blend the ingredients together.
6. Once cool, add the Teacher’s Whisky and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
7. Best eaten within a year of being made

For the shortcrust pastry:

400g block of shortcrust pastry

Mince Pies:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Flour an even surface and roll out the shortcrust pastry as thinly as possible.
3. Cut the pastry into 8-10 3 inch rounds and the remaining pastry into strips for the lattice
   topping, ensuring you re-roll the trimmings.
4. Line the cake tins lightly with butter and dust with flour, then gently fit a 3 inch pastry
   round into each tin.
5. Fill these with the mincemeat mixture until level with the top of the tin. 
6. Dampen the edges of the lattice strips with water and press lightly onto each pie to form
   the top of the pie.
7. Brush the lattice lids with milk.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.

Cool on a rack and dust the tops with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container