Our Best Mince Pies

We must have made thousands of these little beauties from the Whitewell Hotel, The Willow Tree Restaurant, The Great Tree Hotel and on and on, now we just make a couple of dozen, but we think that they are still the best especially if you make your own mincemeat.

I like my mince pies with a little custard sometimes as an extra special treat.

Serves / Makes: 12 mince pies

Prep-Time: 12 minutes

Cook-Time: 20 minutes

You Will Need;

1. 350 grams, mincemeat, preferably homemade


2. 200 grams, plain flour, sifted


3. 40 grams, golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling


4. 75 grams, ground almonds


5. 125 grams, unsalted butter, diced


6. 1 large egg, beaten


7. 2 tablespoons, milk, to glaze

Lightly butter a 12-hole pie or bun tin, place the mincemeat into a bowl and stir so that any liquid is uniformly dispersed.

Place the flour, sugar, almonds and butter into a food processor and process for a moment until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then slowly add the egg through the feeder tube. (Otherwise, do it the old-fashioned way and rub the butter into the dry ingredients by hand and stir in the egg.)

Bring the mixture together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for an hour or so.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, roll it quite thin, and cut out 12 circles with a fluted pastry cutter, large enough to fill the base of the prepared tin press them gently into each hole, then fill with the mincemeat.

Cut out another 12 slightly smaller discs and use to cover the mincemeat press the edges together to seal.

Make a small slit in the top of each, and then using a pastry brush, gently brush a layer of milk or egg white over the tops of the pies and sprinkle around a quarter of a teaspoon of caster sugar over the top of each pie to glaze them, chill for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200° c, 400° f, Gas mark 6 and bake the pies for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and

Serve and Enjoy!

Notes;

A mince pie (occasionally also minced, minced meat or mincemeat pie) is a British festive sweet pastry, traditionally eaten during the Christmas and New Year period. Mince pies as a rule have a pastry top, but adaptations may also be found without the top in which case they are known as mince tarts. Mince pies are filled with mincemeat; a preserve characteristically containing apple, dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas, spices, and either suet or vegetable shortening. Modern mince pies typically do not contain any meat, but because suet is raw beef or mutton fat, mince pies made with suet are not suitable for vegetarians, although you can now buy a vegetarian suet.

Individual mince pies are usually 6–7.5 cm (2.5-3 inches) in diameter,

although larger mince pies, suitable for slicing, may also be baked.

Did You Know?

• Centuries ago, mince pies were large dishes filled with various meats, mixed with fruits, peels, and sugar


• In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies on Christmas day illegal. This was voted the 4th most ridiculous British law in 2007


• It's considered good luck to eat 12 mince pies in 12 different houses over the 12 days of Christmas, even luckier to eat each one in a different home


• English tradition demands that the mincemeat mixture should only be stirred in a clockwise direction. To stir it anticlockwise is to bring bad luck for the coming year


• Mince pies should always be eaten in silence


• The most expensive mince pie is the 'ultimate' £100 (€149) being offered by London bar, Dion, which includes organic cranberries, stem ginger, orange blossom water and Hennessy cognac.


• The humble mince pie has been subjected to many makeovers in the name of improvement.
  
  The Glens Tags: The Glens Tags: Recipes, Cooking for Christmas, Mince Pies, Holidays, Festive Food, Whitewell, Great Tree

Cheese and Onion Pie

Cheese and onion are old acquaintances and were made to go together.  This tasty savoury pie is easy to make with shop bought sheets of puff pastry, and is great for lunch, or for dinner with a large tossed salad.  It is also one of our favourites

Serves:         2 to 4 

Time:             About 60 minutes if you want to make a good job of it.   

The Glens Tags: Pies, Savoury, Cheese, Lancashire

1. 2, tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 2, large onions, chopped
3. 12, ounces grated Cheshire cheese, you can use Cheddar or Lancashire
4. 1, tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5. 1, teaspoon prepared English mustard
6. 2, teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
7. 2, eggs, beaten separately
8. 2 good pinches of salt and pepper
9. 2, sheets puff pastry

Method:

Line an oven tray with baking paper and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan / skillet and sauté the onions over medium heat for 5- 7 minutes, or until golden and soft.
Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes, before adding the cheese, parsley, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Mix well, then add 1 beaten egg to the bowl, with salt and pepper to your taste, and mix well again.
Using a cake pan or dinner plate as a guide, cut each sheet of pastry into a 9 inch (23 cm) circle.
Lay one sheet of pastry on the prepared baking tray.
Place a large spoonful of the cheese mixture over the pastry base, piling it higher in the middle, and leave a narrow border around the edge.
Lightly brush the border with some of the second beaten egg.
Place the remaining sheet of pastry over the filling, stretching lightly if necessary to neatly fit the bottom sheet.
Press and seal the edges well.
Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg, and cut two slits in the top to allow the steam to escape.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, before reducing the heat to 350F (180C).
Cook a further 20-25 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden brown.
Note;
For my American family and friends you can purchase real British cheese at iGourmet/British Cheeses why not try them.

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

A Very Rich and Tasty Quiche All It Needs Is a Simple Mixed Salad for That Perfect Light Lunch or Supper.
A great favourite with everyone who tried it, I used to serve for pre-dinner nibbles but instead of the bacon used a nice Parma Ham, It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days if well wrapped.

Serves: 6
Time: 45 minutes

• 1 ½ Pounds Asparagus Spears
• 8 Ounces Plain Flour
• 4 Ounces Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Water, Ice Cold
• 4 Ounces Bacon, rindless, streaky, thinly sliced
• 4 Large Egg Yolks
• ¾ Pint Single Cream
• 4 Ounces Gruyere Cheese, Grated
• Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper, To Taste

Pre-heat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.
Trim the tips off the asparagus to the length of 1 ½ inches.
Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes then drain and refresh.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt, add the butter, and rub in.
Add enough ice cold water to bind to firm dough, turn out onto a floured surface, and roll out to fit a 10 inch fluted flan dish.
Bake blind in the oven at 190c/375f/gas 5 until set but not browned about 10-15 minutes.
With a knife, stretch the bacon rashers on a flat surface, wrap a small piece around each asparagus tip.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the cream, grated cheese and seasoning.
Spoon onto the flan case and arrange the bacon and asparagus rolls in the custard.
Turn the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4 and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the quiche is set and golden brown.

Cool for 1 hour then serve.