This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter.
Craving a warm mince pie that’s fresh out of the oven but can’t be bothered to make one from scratch? This recipe has you covered!
Mince pies are THE BEST Christmas food in my opinion (I have such a sweet tooth that I’ll eat anything with sugar). I was introduced to this recipe by my friend who makes it every year with her family.
The ingredients are simple:
- Jar of mincemeat – 350g
- 2 x 320g puff pastry
- Icing sugar to dust
- One egg, beaten (optional)
Method:
- Heat oven to 200C and butter a muffin tin. Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out a little.
- Lay the sheet onto the tin, pushing it into the holes. Spoon 1½ tbsp of mincemeat into each hole, then use some of the beaten egg to brush around all of the holes. Lay the other sheet of pastry on top and press to seal.
- Use a cookie cutter (or anything round – I used a ramekin) to cut circles around each of the holes, peeling away the excess puff pastry. You will be left with 12 flat-topped pies. Place a flat baking tray over the pies and flip the fairy cake tin upside-down. The pies should slip out of the tin, leaving you with 12 puff pies on a baking tray.
- Press each one around the edges to make sure they’re well sealed. Brush them with more of the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins, until risen and golden. Allow to cool a little, then dust some icing sugar to finish.
The best thing about this recipe is that it’s such a cheat because everything can be bought from the supermarket – you just have do the assembling. The puff pastry is so soft and flaky, and dare I say even better than the normal shortcrust?
Best enjoyed with a cup of mulled wine!