Home > Recipes > Mince pie recipes > Angela’s mince pies

Angela’s mince pies

Name: Angela’s mince pies
Yield: Makes 12 pies (and 1.8kg mincemeat)
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: For the mincemeat; 2 bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped; 200g suet; 350g raisins; 230g sultanas; 230g currants; 230g light brown sugar; zest and juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons; 50g whole, blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 4 tsp mixed spice; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 6 tbsp port; 4 tbsp brandy; For the pastry; 220g flour; generous pinch fine sea salt; 110g butter; 1 medium free range egg yolk, plus 1 whole egg, beaten, for glazing; You will also need waxed discs (from lakeland.co.uk) and sterilised jars (see know-how) for the leftover mincemeat.

Published: 5 Dec 14
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Our 2014 mince pie challenge winner Angela Perkins shares her homemade, traditional recipe.

Easy
December 2014

Test kitchen approved

Makes 12 pies (and 1.8kg mincemeat)
Hands on time 30 min; oven time 3 hours 20 min;

Our 2014 mince pie challenge winner Angela Perkins shares her homemade, traditional recipe.

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

For the mincemeat

2 bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
200g suet
350g raisins
230g sultanas
230g currants
230g light brown sugar
zest and juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons
50g whole, blanched almonds, roughly chopped
4 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
6 tbsp port
4 tbsp brandy

For the pastry

220g flour
generous pinch fine sea salt
110g butter
1 medium free range egg yolk, plus 1 whole egg, beaten, for glazing

You will also need waxed discs (from lakeland.co.uk) and sterilised jars (see know-how) for the leftover mincemeat.

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Mix all the mincemeat ingredients together apart from the brandy in a large bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to infuse for 12 hours.
Heat the oven to 120C/fan100C/gas ½. After infusing, spread the mincemeat on a large tray and cover with foil, in a cool oven for 3 hours to allow the suet to melt. When cool stir in the 4 tablespoons of brandy. Spoon mixture into sterilised jars, cover with wax discs and seal (see know how).
For the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix in the egg yolk and just enough cold water to form a smooth, but not damp, dough. Bring the pastry together then shape into a disc and wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 mm thick and punch 12 x 8cm circles, and 12 x 7cm circles with a serrated-edged cookie cutter out of the pastry. Line a 12 hole mince pie tin with the larger circles. Spoon in roughly 35g/2 tbsp mincemeat and push down then top with the smaller circles. Brush with the beaten eggs and bake for 17-20 min or until golden, crisp and bubbling.

Recipe from December 2014 Issue

delicious. tips

The mincemeat will keep for up to a year in a sterilised jar.

Freeze the baked mince pies for up to 3 months; defrost, then warm in the oven at 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 for 7 minutes to serve.
To sterilise jars, wash them in warm soapy water then heat in an oven at 120°C/fan100°C/gas ½ for 30 minutes.