Traditional Mince Pies

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C for fan assisted ovens . Have ready a 12 hole tart tin and take the pastry out of the packaging 10-15 minutes before you are ready to use it.
2. Unroll the pastry and using a 7.5cm/3″ cutter cut out 12 discs and line the base of the tin. Cut out 12 smaller discs with a fluted cutter for the lids and set aside. (You may find that you are able to cut 10 discs out of the 1st sheet, simply re-roll the off cuts to make 12).
3. Fill each case with 2 teaspoons of mincemeat, lightly moisten undersides of pastry lids with water and use to top tarts, pressing gently at edges to seal.
4. Make a hole in the top of each pie with the tip of a sharp knife (to allow any steam to escape), brush with water, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with a little more sugar; allow to stand in the tin for 2-3 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.

Tips

• Once completely cool, these tasty festive treats can be put in an airtight container and frozen for up to a month. Simply defrost at room temperature for an hour. To serve warm, just pop in the oven for 3-4 minutes at 180C! Perfect for those unexpected visitors over the festive season!