Ingredients
- 140g/5oz cold butter, diced
- 225g/8oz plain flour
- 50g/2oz ground almonds
- 50g/2oz golden caster sugar
- 1 orange, zest only
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2 tsp cold water
- 280g/10oz good quality mincemeat
- 1 egg, beaten
- icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds, caster sugar, orange rind and salt until the mixture is a bit crumbly.
- Combine mixture with the egg yolk and 1-2 teaspoons of water until it forms soft dough, then put it into a plastic bag and chill for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2-3mm(0.1in) and cut out about 18 rounds measuring 7.5cm(3in) with a pastry cutter.
- Place in lightly greased patty tins and spoon the mincemeat evenly into the pies.
- Re-roll the leftover pastry and cut out round lids, stars or other festive shapes to fit on top of the mincemeat.
- Lightly brush the pastry tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes until golden.
- Remove from oven and leave for a few minutes before removing from tins and cooling on a wire rack.
- Dust with icing sugar.