🍪 Easy mini mince pies to make with children
Prep: 35 min · Cook: 15 min · Makes: 24 mini pies
A plate of mince pies is pure British Christmas, and the mini ones are the easiest to make with children. Rubbing butter into flour is a brilliant messy job for small fingers, and cutting out the little star lids is the bit everybody fights over.
The pastry here is short and slightly sweet, and it is forgiving: if it tears, just squash it back together in the tin. Nobody will notice once the star is on top.
For little helpers
- Children can rub in the butter, roll the pastry, cut the circles and stars, and spoon in the mincemeat.
- The filling gets much hotter than the pastry, so let the pies cool for a good 10 minutes before anyone takes a bite.
- No star cutter? Use a small heart, a tree, or simply cut a little cross in a round lid.
The one for Father Christmas
In many British homes, Christmas Eve means leaving out a mince pie for Father Christmas, perhaps with a small glass of milk, and a carrot for the reindeer. Let your child choose the best-looking pie for the plate and write a little note to go with it.
Variations
- Frangipane tops: instead of a star, spoon a little almond sponge mix on top before baking.
- Apple and cranberry: stir a finely chopped apple and a handful of dried cranberries into the mincemeat for a fresher filling.
- Orange pastry: add the grated zest of an orange to the flour.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 125 g cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 medium egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
- 400 g mincemeat (one jar)
- 1 small egg, beaten, or a little milk, to glaze
Method
- Put the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and add the cold butter cubes. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Lifting your hands high and letting it fall keeps it cool.
- Mix in the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring it together into a soft ball. Do not knead it much. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). Lightly grease two 12-hole mini muffin or bun tins.
- Roll the pastry out on a floured worktop to about 3 mm thick. Cut 24 rounds with a 6 cm cutter and press them gently into the tins.
- Re-roll the scraps and cut 24 small stars (about 4 cm) for the lids.
- Spoon a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case. Do not overfill or it will bubble over.
- Top each pie with a star and brush the stars with a little beaten egg or milk.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes, as the filling is very hot, then lift out onto a wire rack.
- Dust with icing sugar once cool.
Questions
Can I freeze mince pies?
Yes. Freeze them baked and cooled for up to a month, then warm through in a 160°C (140°C fan) oven for 8-10 minutes.
Is shop-bought mincemeat suitable for vegetarians and children?
Many jars use vegetable suet and no alcohol, but not all. Check the label for suet, alcohol and nuts before you buy.
Can I use ready-made pastry?
Of course. A 320 g sheet of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry makes about 18 mini pies.