INGREDIENTS
pastry
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups margarine or butter, cold
pinch salt
cold water, to mix
2.5 inch muffin tin
3 inch round cookie cutter
2.5 inch round cookie cutter
filling
1 1/2 lbs jarred mincemeat
for the top
milk
powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
Pre heat the oven to 400 °F.
To make the pastry: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Cut the margarine or butter into small pieces and rub into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add enough cold water a tablespoon at a time and mix it in with a knife and then bring it together with your hands.
Wrap it in cling wrap and and rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
To make the pies: Roll out half of the pastry to about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Use the larger pastry cutter to cut out the bottoms for the pies.
Gather up the scraps, re roll the pastry and cut more bottoms.
Do the same with the other half of pastry and use the smaller pastry cutter to cut out the tops.
Lightly grease the muffin tins and line them with the large rounds.
Fill them with the jarred mincemeat up to the level of the pastry.
Dampen the edges of the small rounds with water and press them lightly into position to make the lids.
Brush the lids with milk and make a couple of snips with scissors in each top.
Bake near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are light golden-brown.
Let them cool on a wire rack and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Best served warm.
