Mince Pie Trees Food

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.

MINCE PIE TREES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Unroll one of the pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface, with the long edge nearest you. Spread with mincemeat, top with the second sheet of pastry, then cut in half, widthways, down the middle.
• For each piece, cut into 4 strips down, measuring 6cm, 4cm, 2cm, and 1cm in width. Next, cut across evenly to make 12 'ladders' of pastry. Dip the knife in flour if it sticks. Brush with egg. Chill for 10 mins.
• Build the trees on the baking sheets. Stack the strips, mincemeat middles facing up, starting with the longest and finishing with the smallest. It helps them look more tree- like if you fold them a little in the middle, too. Once stacked, squash with your hand to flatten into a tree shape. Can be frozen for up to a month. Bake for 20 mins (25 mins from frozen) or until the pastry is golden and the mincemeat bubbling. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 mins, then lift onto a wire rack with a palette knife and let cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

BEST MINCE PIES EVER

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Rub together the flour and butter (or whizz up in a food processor).
• Add the sugar and salt and mix thoroughly.
• Knead the mixture together. Don't add any water. You'll think there's no way it's ever going to stick into a ball, but it will after a few minutes of kneading.
• Take walnut-sized balls of the pastry and push them into the holes of a 12-cake cupcake tin, forming them into case shapes.
• Fill each with some of the mincemeat.
• Form lids for each pie from a slightly smaller ball of dough, patted out flat to fit. Push the edges onto the sides of the case - they will stick together without the need for any egg or milk.
• At this point, you can freeze the pies until needed.
• Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Serve hot or cold, dusted with icing sugar, with lashings of brandy butter.