← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 375 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• 250 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 120 g caster sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 large egg
• 600 g vegetarian mincemeat (1 large jar)
• 1 orange, zest only (optional)
• 1 egg, beaten, or a little milk, to glaze
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it looks like fine crumbs, then mix in the egg and bring it together into a ball; add a drop of cold water only if it is too dry. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 min.
2. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F). Stir the orange zest, if using, into the mincemeat.
3. Roll two-thirds of the pastry to 3 mm thick and cut 18 rounds with a 7.5 cm fluted cutter. Press them into two 12-hole shallow bun tins.
4. Fill each case with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat; do not overfill or it bubbles out. Roll the remaining pastry and cut 18 stars or 6 cm lids. Set them on top and brush with egg.
5. Bake for 18–20 min until golden. Cool in the tins for 5 min, then ease out onto a rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

Tips

• Some mincemeat is made with beef suet; for vegetarian pies, choose one made with vegetable suet. Many brands also contain nuts or alcohol, so check the label.
• Freeze unbaked pies in their tins, then bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Joy of Baking