Mince Pie Doughnuts Recipe By Tasty Food

MINCE PIE DOUGHNUTS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Spoon a tablespoon of mincemeat onto the middle of a slice of white bread and cover it with another slice to make a sandwich.
• Cut a circular shape in the sandwich with a glass, making sure the edges are well sealed.
• Repeat for more doughnuts.
• To make the egg wash, add the eggs, milk, flour and icing sugar to a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
• Dip the doughnuts into the mixture, then fry in oil at 190°C/375°F until golden brown on both sides.
• Roll the doughnut in icing sugar.
• Enjoy!

BAKED MINCEMEAT DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Tip the flour, sugar and a good pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips. Stir in the yeast.
• Warm the milk to hand hot. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the milk and egg. Mix everything together to make a soft dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
• Knead the dough again briefly, then divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to a 9cm round and put 1 tsp mincemeat in the centre. Gather up the edges of the dough to enclose the filling, pinching it well to seal. Shape into a ball between your hands and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, sealed side down, allowing space for the dough to rise. Cover with a tea towel and leave for about 30 mins. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Bake the doughnuts for 10-12 mins until risen and golden. Mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp cold water in a shallow bowl. Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Roll each doughnut first in the sugar syrup, then into the caster sugar to coat all over. Leave to cool.

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Mince pies freeze very well, taking some of the headache out of all that Christmas preparation. If I make lots of these before Christmas, I freeze them raw and then cook them on the day. Cooked mince pies can be stored in a biscuit tin or airtight box and warmed through gently before serving. They are perfect with a glass of spicy mulled wine or a cup of coffee for a festive snack.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/Gas mark 6. Brush the tin with melted butter.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch/3 mm thick and, using the 2 1/2-inches/6 cm cutter, cut out 24 circles for the bases. Then use the smaller plain/fluted cutter or star cutter to cut-out 24 circles/stars for the lids. Re-roll the trimmings, if necessary.
• Line the holes of the cake tin with the larger pastry rounds. Fill each base with a teaspoon mincemeat and top with one of the smaller rounds or stars. Brush the tops of the mince pies with the beaten egg.
• Bake in the oven for 10 to 13 minutes until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar (confectioners') to serve.
• This basic pastry is used in many popular recipes, from mince pies to quiches; it's also one of the easiest pastries to start with. The uncooked dough can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
• Shortcrust Pastry:
• Put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and whiz briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 3/4-inch/2 cm thick, then wrap in cling film or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Variations: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon icing sugar (confectioners'). Soured cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring it together.
• This delicious mincemeat will keep happily in a cool dark place for at least a year. If you are making your own suet (the fat that surrounds the beef kidney), make sure that every trace of blood has been removed before you whiz it in the food processor, otherwise it will cause the mincemeat to go off.
• Mincemeat:
• Put the apple chunks in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon water, cover and cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until the apples are cooked down to a pulp. Allow to cool.
• Mix the apples with the orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, suet, raisins, sultanas, currants, candied peel, dark brown sugar, almonds, mixed spice, and whiskey in a large bowl and put into sterilized jars.* Leave to mature, if possible for at least 2 weeks before using.
• Cut the fruit in 1/2 and squeeze out the juice. (Reserve the juice for another use, perhaps home-made lemonade.) Put the peel into a large bowl, add the salt and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 24 hours.
• Next day, throw away the soaking water; put the peel in a large saucepan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about 3 hours or until the peel is soft.
• Remove the peel from the pan and discard the water. Scrape out any remaining flesh and membrane from inside the cut fruit, using a teaspoon, leaving the white pith and rind intact.
• In a clean large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in 1 3/4 pints/1 litre of water, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer gently for 30 to 60 minutes until it looks translucent (shiny and 'candied') and the syrup forms a thread when the last drop falls off a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 20 to 30 minutes to slightly cool.
• Put the candied peel into sterilized glass jars* and pour the syrup over. Cover and store in a cold place or in the refrigerator. It should keep, stored like this, for at least 3 months.