Classic Mince Pies
Classic British mince pies made with a sweet shortcrust pastry and a rich, fruity mincemeat filling. Bake these traditional mince pies with homemade or shop-bought mincemeat for an easy, nostalgic Christmas treat that’s perfect for gifting, parties, or enjoying with a cuppa.
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Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
- 65g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar) (plus extra for dusting)
- 175g Butter or Block Margarine (softened)
- 250g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
For the Filling
- 400g Mincemeat (homemade or shop-bought)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 190°c (170°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 375°F) and grease a 12-hole bun tray with a little excess butter/margarine.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter/margarine and sugar for the pastry. Mix until combined before adding the flour and mixing to form a dough (you may need to use your hands).
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 0.5cm, and cut into circles with a cookie cutter that is large enough to line the holes in your tray. Gently place into your prepared tray, pressing the pastry into place.
- Fill each pastry casing with mincemeat - enough to fill generously but not come over the top edge of your pastry casing. Using a slightly smaller cookie cutter, cut a circle big enough to serve as the top of your mince pie. You can either cut a shape in the middle, or simply poke a hole once in place on top of your mince pie. Dampen the top edges of your mince pies with a little water, before placing the tops on and gently pressing into place to seal.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes until a light golden colour on top. Dust the tops with a little caster sugar while still warm. Allow to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
- Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: This recipe uses a sweet shortcrust pastry, which is always my first choice for mince pies. You can swap to shop-bought pastry if you’re short on time, but sweet shortcrust isn't as easy to find ready-made. Standard shortcrust works absolutely fine, it just won’t have quite the same flavour. If you do have the time, homemade really is worth it.
- Homemade vs Shop-Bought Mincemeat: Both work perfectly fine. Homemade mincemeat will give you a richer, fruitier flavour (and you can tweak it to your taste), but a good-quality shop-bought jar makes these super quick without any compromise.
- Storage: Store your mince pies in an airtight tin for up to 3-4 days. While the pastry may soften a little, the flavours will develop nicely.
- Freezing: Unbaked or baked mince pies can both be frozen. If freezing unbaked, assemble them fully and freeze in the tin before transferring to a container - then bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the time.
Pre-baked mince pies that are frozen simply need a gentle reheat, once fully defrosted.
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