Puff Pastry Mince Pies

I’m not the biggest fan of traditional Christmas food. I don’t like turkey (why not just have chicken which tastes better?), Christmas pudding isn’t my thing and brandy butter, bread sauce and brussel sprouts can all go hang as far as I’m concerned. However I do quite like mince pies but in a slightly suspicious way – it always surprises me when I enjoy one because I don’t like other Christmas food. Rediscovering my love of them every year is like a present all in itself.

So when it comes to making a more traditional Christmas treat for my office I have turned to mince pies. I have done the short crust versions in the past but my ‘hot hands’ and tiny warm kitchen make it very difficult to get right. I have experimented with filo but it doesn’t have enough butter in it for my liking and it tastes a bit mean to me because of that. Therefore this year I’ve decided to make them with puff pastry. And because I’m not a masochist I’ve bought ready rolled.

These are very simple and easy to transport which is useful when taking on the tube. The sprinkling of sugar on top makes them better when serving cold (they rock the eccles cake vibe a little bit) but be careful when taking out of the oven as the hot sugar, and sticky boiling syrup that squishes out the pastry, will burn! Don’t panic if the mincemeat oozes out a bit as I think that this makes them look ‘homemade’ and everyone likes reassurance that something has been made just for them.

Ingredients

1 x ready rolled puff pastry

1 x jar mincemeat

1 egg, beaten

Demerara sugar

1.    Preheat the oven to 190°/GM 5.

2.    Roll out the pastry on a well floured surface as you want it fairly thin.

3.    Cut a round cutter to cut out as many circles as possible. Re-rolling out whatever is left over. I use a 6cm-ish cherry glass! You could use a bigger circle for the one going on top but it’s a faff I can’t be bothered with.

4.    Lay out half of the circles on baking trays and brush with egg. Dollop a teaspoon full of mincemeat in the middle of each and cover with the remaining circles.

5.    Brush the top with egg, sprinkle on sugar and pop a hole in the top to let the steam out while cooking.

6.    Pop in the over for about 15 minutes and you’re done. Easy.