Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Classic British mince pies: buttery shortcrust filled with rich, fruity mincemeat and dusted with icing sugar. An essential taste of Christmas.
Mince pies are as fixed a part of a British Christmas as the tree itself: buttery pastry, spiced fruit filling, a dusting of icing sugar. This pastry is all butter and comes together with no liquid at all, which gives it that short, almost shortbread quality that melts as you bite. They are best eaten still warm from the tin.
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Prep 25 min
Cook 20 min
Total 45 min
Easy
Scale:
- 225g Butter
- 350g Plain Flour
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 280g Mincemeat
- 1 small Egg
- Topping Icing Sugar
Tags:
Christmas
Preparation
- For the pastry, rub 225g of cold diced butter into 350g of plain flour, then mix in the caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Bring the pastry into a ball without adding any liquid, and knead briefly. It will feel fairly firm, much like shortbread dough. Use it straight away or chill it.
- Heat 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.
- Spoon the mincemeat into the pies.
- Take slightly smaller balls of pastry and pat them into round lids large enough to cover each pie.
- Settle the lids on top, pressing the edges gently to seal. They stick on their own, so no milk or egg is needed. The pies can be frozen at this stage for up to a month.
- Beat the egg, brush it over the tops, and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to firm up in the tin for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
- Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Keep the butter cold and bring the dough together without any liquid so the pastry stays short and crumbly.
- Resist overfilling. A neat spoonful of mincemeat is plenty and stops it boiling over.
- The pastry seals to itself, so there is no need for egg or milk to fix the lids in place.
- Give them a few minutes in the tin before lifting them out, as they are fragile while hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. Freeze them unbaked for up to a month and bake straight from frozen, or bake them in advance and keep them in an airtight tin, where they last several days.
Perfectly. A good jar is a sensible shortcut, and a splash of brandy or some extra zest stirred in will make it taste like your own.
Nothing. This rich, liquid-free dough is meant to be short and tender. Handle it gently, warm it briefly in your hands if it cracks, or chill it if it has gone soft.
No. The pastry holds to itself, so a gentle press is enough. Brush the tops with beaten egg only if you want a golden shine.
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