LAST BITE RECIPE

1 HOUR + CHILLING + COOLING | MAKES 12 | EASY

Whisky crumble mince pies

PASTRY plain flour 275g, plus extra for dusting ground almonds 50g golden caster sugar 100g unsalted butter 200g, cubed and chilled egg 1 whole milk 2 tbsp (optional) FILLING mincemeat 500g stem ginger roughly chopped to make 2 tbsp orange 1, zested dried cranberries 50g glacé morello cherries 50g, roughly chopped whisky 3 tbsp egg 1, beaten icing sugar to dust CRUMBLE unsalted butter 25g, cubed and chilled oats 50g plain flour 25g golden caster sugar 20g pecans 50g, finely chopped • Put all the ingredients for the pastry with a pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse until they come together as a dough, adding a little milk if it’s not clumping. Put the dough onto a floured worksurface and form into a sausage shape. Cut off 1/3 for the lids, wrap and chill.

• Divide the remaining 2/3 pastry into 12 equal pieces, roughly roll out each one and press them into the bottoms and sides of a 12-hole muffin tin. Chill.

• Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix together the mincemeat, stem ginger, orange zest, cranberries, cherries and whisky. Divide the mixture equally between the mince pie cases. Roll out the remaining pastry onto a lightly floured worksurface and cut out different-sized stars for the pastry lids. Chill these and the mince pies while you make the crumble.

• Put the butter, oats and flour in a bowl, and rub together with your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb-like texture. Add the sugar followed by the pecans and mix together until just combined. Lightly sprinkle the crumble over the tops of the mince pies. Put the stars on top, overlapping some of them. Brush the mince pies with a little beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is browned. Cool for 15 minutes before lifting out of the tin and dusting with icing sugar. PER SERVING 494 KCALS | FAT 24.1G | SATURATES 10.6G | CARBS 59G SUGARS 37.5G | FIBRE 3G | PROTEIN 6.4G | SALT 1G