Mince Pies
4 cups plain flour
Pinch salt
250g butter
2 Tbsp castor sugar
2 egg yolks
4 Tbsp ice-cold water
Christmas mincemeat
1 egg, beaten
Castor sugar
1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour with fingers until like breadcrumbs. Do not overdo – butter will blend later. Add the two Tbsp of sugar, then make a well in the centre. Combine yolks with water, then pour into welt, quickly stirring mixture with a knife to form a dough.
2. Press dough together with fingers, turn on to floured board, knead until smooth. Halve and pat into 2 thick rounds. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
3. Roll out half the pastry thinly. Cut out rounds to fit small patty tins, then line tins with rounds. Cut more rounds to use as lids. (We also punched out shapes in the centre of these using a cookie cutter.) Fill pastry cases with mincemeat, cover with lids, pressing down edges with a tsp handle. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Place in a 190C oven for about 25 mins.