You may be under the misapprehension that crap bought mince pies with sweet shortcrust pastry are the right mince pies. They are not. They're terrible. Make real mince pies, do it right. Start with making butter puff paste...
Make lots, it freezes. Then roll out and cut out some circles, and roll the scraps up and roll out THIN, and cut the same number of slightly smaller circles. The small, thin circles are your bases. Put mince on each (about which more later) on each...
...seal the larger, thicker circles on top with egg, then egg glaze...
...then put the trays of mince pies in the back hall to cool down. You want them to go into a HOT oven when they're cold. And they'll do this...
...they're light, crispy, and delicious. Now about the mince - obviously home made is better, but the bought jars aren't terrible. Mince or 'shred' pies go back centuries in Britain, at one point being mostly meat with some spice and fruit...
...and over the years less meat and more spice, fruit and booze made its way in. The last of the meaty things is suet (the white bits in the jar), but thats usually palm oil these days and I avoid it. I use an early 19th century recipe that still has beef mince in it...
...lots of fruit, citrus, dark brown sugar, brandy, peel, apple, suet, spice. This is Christmas in a jar, and it is wonderful stuff. Still sweet, but not cloyingly stickily so like the bought stuff. And thats proper mince pies...
Just don't forget to serve them with brandy butter. Its mandatory.
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