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Luxury Mincemeat Pies

You know Christmas is approaching when the warm aroma of mince pies baking wafts throughout the house; this recipe brings you the most loved treat for the Christmas season and it is sure to be appreciated by all your family and friends.

Makes 2Kg of mincemeat / 120 pies 
Preparation and Cooking time: 120 minutes 
Ideally prepare 4 weeks before serving

For Mincemeat (120 pies):

Lamb Brand Candied peel 200g

Lamb Brand Glaced cherries 200g

Lamb Brand Sultana 250g

Lamb Brand Currants (or Black Raisins) 250g

Lamb Brand Brown Sugar 225g

Lamb Brand Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp

Lamb Brand Ground Nutmeg ½ tsp

Lamb Brand Ground Ginger ½ tsp

Lamb Brand Blanched Almonds 115g, chopped

Life Apricots 115g, coarsely chopped

Apples 500g, peeled cored, finely diced

Lemon 1, rind and juice

Orange 1, rind and juice

Vegetable Suet 175g

Brandy 3 tbsp, 120ml

For the Dough (24 pies):

Lamb Brand Auntie’s Mix Flour 500g

Lamb Brand Icing Sugar 60g, sifted

Lamb Brand Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp

Lamb Brand Fine Table Salt ¼ tsp

Guzelpinar Iced Water 120-160ml, 6-8 tbsp

Unsalted Butter 250g, cubed

Egg Yolk 2

For the Crumble:

Lamb Brand Pure Ground Almond 50g

Lamb Brand Almonds Flakes 50g

Lamb Brand Brown Sugar 50g

Lamb Brand Mixed Spice ¾ tsp

For the mincemeat mix all ingredients gradually in a non metallic large bowl and stir together until thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to stand in a cool place for 2 days, stirring occasionally. Spoon the mincemeat into cool sterilized jars; pressing down well, being very careful not to trap any air bubbles, cover and seal. Store the jars in a cool, dark place. The mixture needs at least 4 weeks to set before being used to make pies. Once jar is opened store in refrigerator and use within 4 weeks

If when open the mincemeat seems dry, pour a little extra brandy and some orange juice into the jar and stir gently. For the pastry sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your finger tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the orange zest and the sifted icing sugar and mix well. Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk and most of the water. Mix with a flat knife, using a cutting action until the mixture comes together, adding more water if necessary. Knead onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In the meantime make the crumble by mixing all ingredients together into a bowl. With a rolling pin roll out the pastry and cut 3” circles with a cookie cutter and place in a muffin tin. Fill cases with the mincemeat and top with the prepared crumble and bake in a preheated oven 180° for 15-20 minutes, turning tray half way through until pastry is cooked and crumble lightly browned. 

Leave to cool and store in an airtight container to keep fresh. Pies can be frozen. When brought out from freezer, defrost at room temperature and then warm at 180° for 4-5 minutes.