A classic mince pie is delicious, but you don't have to stick to a traditional top. Why not add Christmassy star shapes or try a delicious crumble or meringue topping.
Ingredients
Pastry
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp icing sugar
30g ground almonds
150g butter
1 medium egg
Filling
410g jar of mincemeat
2 satsumas, peeled and segmented or small tin of mandarin segments
1 eating apple, cored and finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
Crumble
50g plain flour
Caster Sugar
Rolled Oats
35g cold butter - diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Meringue
3 medium egg whites
130g caster sugar
To Finish
Caster or icing sugar for sprinkling
Method
In a large bowl mix the flour and icing sugar together. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the ground almonds and stir.
Add the egg and work into the mixture with your fingers, bringing it together to form a soft dough. You may need to add a drop a water if the pastry is a little dry.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Flatten into a disc with you fingers and wrap in cling film. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Put the mincemeat into a bowl. Add the satsumas, chopped apple and lemon zest. Stir well and leave to macerate for a few hours or overnight.
Heat your oven 200°C. Lightly butter a 12-hole muffin tin.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2-3mm thickness. Don’t worry if the pastry breaks or sticks just press it together and re roll. Using a 9.5cm cutter, cut 12 discs and use these to line the muffin tin. Re roll any trimmings and using a star cutter, cut out stars.
To make the crumble topping, simply mix all the dried ingredients together then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Put 2 heaped tsp of the mincemeat into each pastry case. Top with a pastry star or cover in crumble mixture. IF you are doing meringue topping bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven top with meringue and bake for 7-10 minutes until the meringue is golden.
For pastry top or crumble bake for around 20minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar.