Date and apple mince pies

Method

1. Combine all the mincemeat ingredients in a large bowl.
2. For the pastry, put the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in 2 of the egg yolks, one by one, adding 1 tsp water with each. Gently mix in the flour until just combined. Bring the dough together with your hands, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp out 16 rounds with an 8cm cutter, then use to line a fairy cake tin, pushing them into the moulds with a knuckle or small ball of excess pastry wrapped in cling film. Roll up the remaining pastry, wrap in cling film and chill again.
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4. Fill each pastry case with about 2 tbsp mincemeat, then chill. Heat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Roll out the chilled pastry to a pound-coin thickness, then stamp out 16 x 6cm star shapes. Top the mince pies with the stars, then brush with the remaining egg yolk and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Allow to cool in the tins before gently turning out.