Easy Mince Pies for Christmas

I love mince pies. But I don't tend to like shop-bought mince pies... just the home made ones. They taste so much better don't you think? And anyway, we need to make some for Santa!

Pic courtesy of Fine Art America

All you need for 12 mince pies:

• 1 sheet short crust pastry (frozen)
• 1 jar Robertson's mincemeat (fruit mincemeat obviously)
• 2 tablespoons milk and milk/pastry brush
• Icing sugar (for dusting at the end) 
• Some coarse brown sugar (for sprinkling)
• A shallow pie tin suited to 12 pies

1. Flour your surface and roll out your pastry. Make sure it is still cool to the touch - it makes it easier to work with if you've let it defrost a bit before rolling. You don't want it paper thin but you also don't want it too thick.

2. Use a cutter and cut out 12 round discs and then use a fork to make the edges of each disc look pretty :) then place each disc into your buttered tin.

Step 2

3. Add a generous teaspoon of fruit mincemeat to each base.

Step 3

4. Roll out your pastry again and this time, cut with a smaller cutter. You can use a fun Christmas shape instead of a traditional circle; I used a Christmas Tree cutter.

5. Coat the edge of your base disc with milk, then add your Christmas Tree pastry top, then coat that with milk too. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar - the best sugar to use is a coarse (crunchy) variety.

Step 5

6. Bake in the oven at for minutes and when browned, remove.

7. Dust with sieved icing sugar and then serve to a round of applause from your friends!

Step 7

Merry Christmas!!
Rebecca xx