Mince Pies, just like my Mum used to make them. This Traditional Mince Pie recipe is a true classic. Get the recipe below.
Traditional Christmas Bakes
When I was a child my favourite day was Christmas Eve. That's right, the day before Christmas Day. While most people love Christmas for the big roast dinner or opening presents, for me it's all about spending time with my family.
Christmas Eve started early in my house. We'd get up at 5am and drive to the town where my Mum and Dad first lived together. Here was the butcher where they bought their first Christmas turkey! The butcher they still buy their turkey from to this day. The queue at the butchers was huge, even so early in the morning.
They'd keep us warm with freshly baked mince pies and mulled wine as we waited in the cold.
After the turkey had been collected (and all the trimmings too), we took it home. Dad then got back in the car and headed off to work for the day. It was then that Mum and I got to baking. We'd make gingerbread men, decorate the Christmas Cake and make our first batch of mince pies for the season. We never baked them a day sooner!
I've tweaked these classic Christmas recipes over the years, but the original recipes still have a place in my heart.
The recipe
I first learnt to make mince pies hanging off the apron strings of my Mum. This is the original recipe that she still uses to this day.
Traditional Mince Pies
Ingredients
- 200 grams plain flour
- 50 grams margarine
- 50 grams lard
- 45 millilitres cold water (3 tbsp)
- 1 jar mincemeat
- 50 millilitres milk
- 1 pinch salt
- icing sugar to dust
Instructions
- Sieve your flour and salt into a bowl.
- Cut the fat into cubes and the rub into the flour by pushing the fat and flour through your finger tips.
- Once the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs (and there are no large lumps of fat) add the water and stir until the mix begins to bind.
- To bring it all together, use your hands to form it into a ball. You may need a little more water to get it to bind together properly but don’t worry just go with your instincts!
- Next place the ball of pastry in a bowl cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 15mins.
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C / 350F/ gas mark 4.
- After 15mins, dust a work surface with flour and cut the ball into two pieces - one representing ⅓ of the pastry the other ⅔rds.
- Roll out the larger pastry ball until a quarter of a centimetre thick.
- Using a large round cutter, cut out 12 bases.
- Gather the scraps together and roll out again as and when you need to.
- Do the same with the small ball of pastry using a cutter one size smaller than before. Cut out another 12 pieces, these will be your lids! (Alternatively use a star cutter for more decorative pies.)
- Grease cupcake tins and place the larger circles into the pans.
- Fill with a teaspoon of mincemeat and brush the edges with a little milk before placing the lids on top.
- Prick the lids with a fork and brush again with more milk.
- Place in the oven for 15mins or until golden, turning round halfway through.
- Once they are done pop on a cooling rack and dust with icing sugar.
Make your own mincemeat
If you're feeling brave enough to make the whole mince pie from scratch you'll need this recipe for mincemeat. If you want to make an alcohol free version simply swap the brandy for orange juice and add a couple of tablespoons more dark brown sugar.
More mince pie variations
More Christmas Recipes
For the full range of festive recipes (cocktails, canapes, Christmas dinner dishes, even more mince pie variations...) check out the Christmas recipe archive.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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