Pastry
I find it best to roll pastry out between
two sheets of baking parchment, and don’t be tempted to miss out the
resting and chilling stage.
250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
145g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 tbsp of icing sugar
A pinch of sea salt
2 large egg yolks
2-3 tbsp milk
Put the flour, sugar, butter and salt into the
bowl of a food processor with a metal blade.
Whizz with the pulse button until you have a
breadcrumb consistency.
Add the egg yolks, whizz briefly, then add the
milk 1 tbsp at a time until the dough comes together.
Turn onto a lightly floured work-surface and
work very quickly with your hands until the dough is smooth. Wrap in clingfilm
and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
Makes about 20
For the filling
55g unsalted butter
50g granulated sugar
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp double cream
85g flaked almonds
1 jar of best quality mincemeat (I use my
homemade stuff)
10
Glace Cherries halved
Preheat the oven 190˚c
Melt the butter, sugar, cream,almonds and honey
together in a heavy bottomed pan until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to
cook until it's glossy stirring the whole time so the almonds are completely
coated. Put to one side to cool.
Cut out 20 circles of pastry using a 2inch
circle cutter, line the mini muffin tins with the pastry circles. Fill each
with a heaped tsp of mincemeat and top with the almond mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven for 18-22 minutes,
covering with foil when the almonds start to turn golden. Pop on half a cherry
when just out of the oven, round side up.
