Open puff pastry mince pies

CHRISTMAS baking is something we all tend to have a go at this time of year. Here is a recipe to make your own mincemeat and then to make it into puff pastry pies. This is a fruity and festive mix which won’t keep for very long at all after the first taste. My daughter tells me Santa loves them too.

Ingredients: Serves 10 +

Mincemeat, can be made one or two days in advance

75g caster sugar

125g suet

125g cooking apples – peeled & small diced

125g sultanas 100g golden raisins 3 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp brandy

1 x orange zest & juice 1 x lemon zest & Juice

Pies

Ready rolled puff pastry

2 x eggs – beaten for brushing Icing sugar for sifting

Flour

Mincemeat mix – room temp

Method

Pre-heat oven 200c/gas mark 6.

In a large mixing bowl place all of the mincemeat ingredients together and combine. Store in a container refrigerated until

Gary Townsend is head chef at One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, Glasgow. See www.hotelduvin. com needed. For the pastry pies, roll out the puff pastry on to a floured surface and cut into equal sized squares.

Place these onto a lined baking tray. Using a round cutter score the middle of the square trying not to cut all the way through the pastry.

Using a pastry brush coat each square with egg wash. Next take a spoonful of the mincemeat and place in the middle of the circle. Continue this for however many you have made.

Place the pies in the oven and bake for around 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and sift with icing sugar.

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