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Mince Pies with Sweet Pastry

Serves: 12 pies

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3hrs 15 minutes

Ingredients
Mince meat:
(enough for 56 pies)
225g raisins
225g sultanas
225g currants
150g candied peel, chopped
25g chopped almonds
25 stem ginger, diced
200g cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
8 tbsp SPLENDA® Granular
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 orange, fined grated zest and juice
1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice
150g vegetable shortening (reduced fat)

Mince pies:
(enough for 12 pies)
300g plain flour plus extra for dusting
150g polyunsaturated spread, chilled and diced
2 tbsp SPLENDA® Granular
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
300g mince meat

Method:
Mince meat:

1. Mix all the ingredients together, cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 12 hours to allow the flavours time to develop.
2. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, mix in 4 tbsp water, cover with foil and cook for 3 hours. Check the consistency, adding 2-3 tbsp more water if you feel it is too dry.
3. Cool and then pack into a clean airtight container. Store in the fridge. This method renders (melts) the shortening and coats all the ingredients in fat to help prevent fermentation.

Mince pies:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the spread and rub in using fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the SPLENDA® Granular. Add the egg yolk with 2-3 tbsp cold water and bring the mixture together to form a dough.
2. Lightly flour the work surface, roll out the pastry to ½cm thickness. Cut out fluted circles 7cm in diameter for pie bases and 6cm for tops, re-rolling the pastry when necessary.
3. Carefully place the pastry bases in a patty tin and spoon in a dessertspoon of mincemeat. Brush the edges of the tops with water or a little beaten egg, place on top of the mincemeat and seal with the pastry bases. Make a small slit in the top of the pastry to allow the steam out and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
4. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold. Can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Per serve

RECIPE TIPS

• For less pastry, cut pastry star shapes to decorate the tops instead of full lids - more pies this way too!
• For an alcoholic touch, add 2 tbsp brandy to the mince meat just before using. (Not included in Nutrition Information).
• Cooked mince meat can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• No need to cook the mince meat if you are using it straight away. After marinating, stir 4 tbsp of water into the mince meat, spoon into pastry bases and bake.