GINGERBREAD MINCE PIES

MAKES 12

PREP 1½ hours

BAKE 15-20 minutes

COOL 1 hour

LASTS 3+ days in the fridge

■ 375g (13oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

■ 3tsp ground ginger

■ 1tsp ground cinnamon

■ 275g (9¾oz) chilled unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing

■ 125g (4½oz) caster sugar

■ 1 egg, plus 1 beaten egg for brushing

FOR THE FILLING

■ 600g (1lb 5oz) mincemeat

■ 75g (2¾oz) crystallised ginger, finely chopped

■ 1tsp ground ginger

■ Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ fan 200°C/gas 7 and grease and flour the inside of a 12hole muffin tray.

Sift the flour, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and egg, mix and bring together with your hands. Knead in the bowl until smooth.

Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 3-4mm thick. Use a 9cm round cutter to cut out 12 circles and press each carefully into a muffin tray hole.

Use a 7cm round cutter to cut out 12 circles from the remaining pastry (you may have to collect the scraps of pastry and re-roll). Leave to one side for later.

Place the mincemeat, crystallised ginger, ground ginger and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix. Put a dollop of the mixture into each of the 12 pastry cases.

Top each mince pie with the 7cm circles you cut out earlier, pressing the pastry lids onto the pastry bases around the edges to seal.

Use any leftover pastry to cut out shapes or stars to decorate.

Brush a little beaten egg onto each mince pie and top with a shape, if using. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, before removing to cool fully.