Method
Mincemeat filling
Makes enough for about 5lbs
Method
Makes 9 Pies
Chef Mark Payne of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago shares one of his family favorites --Mincemeat Pie, a popular British dessert typically served around the holidays. Pastry 7oz of all purpose flour 2 oz of ground almonds 5 oz of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes Grated zest of 1 orange 2 oz of white sugar 1 egg yolk 2-3 teaspoons of iced water Put flour, almonds, orange zest and sugar in a bowl Add cold butter cubes Using your fingertips gentle mix butter and flour together with your hands, until butter and flour are mixed through Add iced water and mix through until you have a dough Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes Reserve 1lb of apples, cored and chopped into small dice, don't peel 8 oz of shredded beef suet (optional) 12 oz golden raisins 8 oz sultanas 8 oz currants 8 oz whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped 12 oz dark brown sugar Grated zest and juice of two oranges Grated zest and juice of two lemons 2 oz sliced almonds 4 teaspoons of ground mixed spice ½ teaspoon of cinnamon ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg 6 tablespoons of brandy Put all ingredients, except the brandy in a large mixing bowl, mix thoroughly Place a clean cloth over the top and put in a cool place for 12 hours to let the flavors develop Pre heat oven to 225 F, cover bowl with foil and bake in oven for three hours Remove from oven allow to cool, if you have used the beef suet the mincemeat will have a lot of fat on top, this is normal Allow to cool, stirring from time to time When mincemeat is cold, add brandy and stir again Mincemeat can be stored in sterilized jars in a cool dark place for up to a year Building Pies Pre heat oven to 350F Roll out dough thinly and with a 3 inch plain cutter, stamp out 18 rounds Using a 2 ½ inch individual tart moulds, line with butter and flour Line each pie with the dough Place a teaspoon of cold mincemeat inside each pie Brush edge of pie with some egg white Place remaining 9 rounds of pastry on top and squeeze edges gently to make a seal Make a ¼ inch slit with knife on top of pie Brush pies with egg white and sprinkle over a little white sugar Bake in oven until golden brown approximately 16 to 18 minutes Remove from oven allow to cool Remove pies from tart liner Serve, enjoy