Mince pies

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 300 g all-purpose flour, 50 g superfine sugar, a pinch salt and 3 g orange zest, then add 170 g cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces and rub it in quickly with your fingertips. Work fast so the warmth of your hands doesn't melt the butter. The mixture is ready when it looks like loose breadcrumbs and smells softly of orange.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Beat 50 g egg, drizzle it over the flour mixture and stir with a blunt knife until the dough starts to clump, then gently gather it into a ball. Don't knead it for long, or the crust will turn tough and shrink in the oven. The dough is right when it is smooth, doesn't stick to your hands and leaves no dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Divide the dough into two portions, flatten each one, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about thirty minutes. Chilled dough rolls out thin without tearing and holds its shape in the tin. It is ready when it feels cool and firm but still bends.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and brush a thin layer of butter into a shallow twelve-cup muffin tin. The high heat crisps the little crusts quickly before the filling bubbles over. The oven is ready when the heating light switches off.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll the larger portion of dough about 3 mm thick, cut out twelve rounds with a 7 to 8 cm round cutter and gently press each one into a cup of the tin. The bases should be slightly wider than the cups so there is room to seal on the lids. They are right when they sit snugly in the cups with the edges rising just above the rim.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Stir 400 g mincemeat with 15 g brandy, if using, and spoon about one heaping tablespoon into each base. Don't overfill them, as the filling will bubble up and spill over in the oven. The filling is right when it comes about three quarters of the way up each base.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Roll out the remaining dough and cut lids with a smaller cutter or a star-shaped cutter, lay them over the filling and press the edges lightly to seal them to the bases. A closed lid needs a small slit so steam can escape. The pies are ready when each lid sits neatly on the filling and the edges are sealed.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Beat 25 g egg, brush a very thin layer over the lids, then sprinkle 10 g granulated sugar on top. The egg gives the tops a glossy golden color, while the sugar adds a sparkly crunch. The tops are right when they are evenly glossy with no pools of egg.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Bake at 200 degrees C for about 18 to 22 minutes, until the crust is a rich golden color. The high heat crisps the crust while the filling just bubbles gently inside. The pies are done when the edges are golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling softly through the gaps in the lids.

   Bake at 200°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Leave the pies in the tin for about ten minutes, then gently ease each one out onto a wire rack with a thin knife. The hot crust is very soft, and a short wait lets it firm up so it doesn't break. The pies are ready when they lift out whole and the bottoms are golden.

    Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Once the pies have cooled a little, sift a light layer of to taste powdered sugar over the tops before serving. The powdered sugar gives them that snowy holiday look and softens the tartness of the filling. They are finished when the tops wear a fine, frost-like white coat.

    Mark step 11 as done