Paul cooks

Mince Pies

Preparation time:

50 minutes

Cooking time:

25 minutes

Serves:

12 servings

Nothing says Christmas like a mince pie! If you’re looking to make these at home, then Paul Ainsworth’s luxurious take on this classic is the perfect wintery treat. The mincemeat is filled with rich currants raisins, and grated apple soaked in sweet brandy and the sweet pastry is infused with vanilla seeds and orange zest for an added festive touch. For best results, make the mincemeat a week before to ensure an intense and flavourful filling.

Ingredients
For the mincemeat:
- 250g raisins
- 375g currants
- 100ml brandy
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 300g shredded suet
- 250g dark soft brown sugar
- 120g chopped mixed peel
- ½ nutmeg grated
- 1 large Bramley apple, peeled and grated
For the sweet pastry:
- 250g of unsalted butter
- 175g of icing sugar, sieved
- 2 eggs
- 400g of plain flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch vanilla seeds
- Orange zest
Method
For the mincemeat:
- Soak the currants in the brandy for a few hours until they're plump, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Leave to infuse for at least a week before using.
For the sweet pastry:
- Cream together the butter and sugar very lightly – do not overmix, or you will add too much air to the pastry
- Gradually add the eggs, mixing well between each addition. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all the ingredients are uniformly mixed
- Add the flour and salt and mix until you have a combined dough. Flatten out slightly then wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling
- For making mince pies reserve 1/3 of the dough and beat until soft and creamy, then add to a piping bag for making the lids of the mince pies
To make the mince pies:
- To make the mince pies roll out the remaining dough thin and cut disc and place each disc into a muffin/bun tin then fill generously with your mincemeat mix.
- Pipe a disc of soft pastry onto the mincemeat, leaving a hole in the centre of the pie, and bake at 200c for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180c and bake for 8/10 minutes
- Leave to cool and lightly dust with icing sugar and finish with orange zest. Add a touch of cinnamon powder to the icing sugar for that extra Christmas touch!