delux mince pies

ORANGE PASTRY FOR MINCE PIES

(Makes 24) THIS LIGHT, CRUMBLY, rich pastry really complements home-made mincemeat. To try and alleviate any last-minute panic, I always make a large batch of mince pies beforehand and put them in the freezer. I take them out and heat them up as I need them and they taste perfect. INGREDIENTS

500 g (l lb) plain flour 175 g (6 oz) icing or castor sugar (I use castor sugar) 375 g (12 oz) butter finely grated rind and juice of 1 large orange.

METHOD

Sift the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces, stir these into the flour and then rub gently with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated orange rind. Then, using a knife, stir in the orange juice until the dough just begins to stick together. Gather up the dough and pat it into a ball, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more before using.

MINCE PIES DE LUXE

(Makes 24) MINCE PIES CAN be rather dry, but by mixing the spicy mincemeat with smooth cream cheese you can give them a really luxurious texture.

INGREDIENTS

250 g (8 oz) full fat cream cheese (I use Philadelphia full fat cream cheese) 50 g (2oz caster sugar 500 g (1 lb) Orange pastry (above) oil for greasing 500-625 g (1-11/4 lb) mincemeat milk to glaze caster or icing sugar, to decorate

METHOD

First put the cream cheese and the caster sugar in a bowl and beat them until smooth. Knead the pastry lightly and roll it out rather more thickly than usual. Using a 7.5 cm (3-inch) fluted pastry cutter, cut out 24 rounds, re rolling the pastry as necessary. Line grease patty tins with the rounds. Fill to about half their depth with mincemeat. Then put a teaspoonful of the beaten cream cheese mixture on top of the mincemeat and smooth the top. Roll out the remaining pastry and with a smaller 5 cm (2-inch) fluted cutter, cut out another 24 rounds. Moisten the underside of the rounds and place them on top of the filled pies. Press the edges lightly together and make a small slit in the top of each pie.

Brush the tops with cold milk and bake in the centre of the over, preheated to Gas Mark 7/220 degrees C/425 degrees F, for 15-20 minutes until light golden-brown. The pastry is so deliciously crumbly that it is best to let these mince pies cool down before gently easing them from the tins with a round-bladed knife.

Before serving, sprinkle them generously with caster or icing sugar. Serve either warm? which of course is best ? or cold.

Leave to cool before taking out of tin. I grease and flour my tin