Christmas Mince Pies

Growing up, mince pies were an integral part of Christmas. Each December we'd get through batch upon batch, as fast as my mum could make them. This is her fruit mince recipe. It makes enough for about 4 dozen or so mince pies. You can keep it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a year. Make the fruit mince at least a week or so in advance of making the pies to really get the full flavours.

The pastry is from the Kiwi cook's bible - the Edmond's Cookery Book - I have tweaked it very slightly. One batch of pastry makes about 9 pies, depending on how thinly you roll it. I use my mini food processor to make the pastry as it makes it ridiculously easy (and I love watching it form a ball at the end - simple things). But making it by hand is easy too. Just takes a little longer.

Firstly, the fruit mince...

Ingredients:

500g raisins

500g currants

450g sultanas

2 large cooking apples (peeled, cored and grated)

100g mixed peel

zest of 1 lemon

400ml brandy

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1) Wash the raisins, currants and sultanas and drain in a colander. Put them in a large glass bowl and pour in the brandy. Cover and leave overnight.

2) The next day, add the apples, mixed peel and lemon zest, mix well.

3) With a stick blender, blend the mix so some of it is very well puréed and some still has chunkier pieces (I did this in batches and blended each batch to a slightly different consistency). Add the spices and mix it all really well together. Store in glass jars in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Use glass rather than plastic as plastic will then take on the strong flavours.

Then for the pastry...

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour

40g vegetable shortening

35g dairy free spread (or butter)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp mixed spice

1 egg yolk

1 Tbs cold water

1) Sift the flour, rub in the shortening and spread with your fingers, or pulse them together with the food processor. The result should look like fine bread crumbs.

2) Stir in the sugar and mixed spice, then add egg yolk and water and mix until it's a stiff dough (or mix in the food processor until it forms a ball).

3) Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins before using it.

Then for the pies...

1) Turn the oven to 190 degrees (gas mark 5) and grease a bun tray or shallow muffin pan.

2) Roll out the pastry with a floured rolling pin on a floured surface to about 2 or 3 mm thick and cut 2 circles for each pie - one that is larger than the top of the holes in the muffin pan, and one that is the same size.

3) Lay the larger circles in the bottom of the muffin moulds, gently pressing them into the base and against the sides.

4) Add fruit mince - a good couple of teaspoons into each one - make the fruit mince come just up to the top of the muffin hole - don't overfill them.

5) Brush some milk on the visible edges of the pastry base and place the smaller circles on top of the mince, pushing them down at the edges to meet the pastry bottom. Prick each pie with a fork and brush with a mix of milk and beaten egg. Bake for 20 - 30 min, depending on your oven.

6) Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar.