225g plain flour
Pinch of salt
150g butter (chilled and diced )
20g castor sugar
1 egg yolk
45ml cold water
Filling
1 jar ( 225g) shop bought mincemeat
Zest 1 orange / lemon / clementine
1 eating apple grated
50g ground almonds
Optional: drop of brandy, whisky or rum
To Finish
Egg white
25g castor sugar
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
2. Mix the egg yolk with the water, make a well in the centre and then using a butter knife add it in to the dry ingredients.
3. Knead gently, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
4. To improve the mince meat, spoon it out of the jar and into a bowl. Grate in the orange zest and the apple. Splash in the alcohol if using.
5. Preheat the oven to 190?
6. Roll out the pastry about 3mm thick. Find something about 7.5cm wide and use this to cut out 12 circles. Gently press these into the bun tin. Allow a little to protrude above the tin to allow for shrinkage when cooked.
7. Spoon 2/3 tsp of the mixture into the centre.
8. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut of the top - this can be a full circles ( 6cm) or stars.
9. Damp the edges of the pastry with and press down.
10. Paint with egg white and dust with castor sugar.
11. Bake at 190? for 20-25 minutes.
12. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
13. Serve warm with a dollop of cream and custard.
