Ingredients are here ….
Mince Pies
Ingredients
225g cold butter diced
350g plain flour
100g golden castersugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg beaten
Icing sugar to dust
Method
STEP 1
To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt.
STEP 2
Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
STEP 3
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole.
STEP 4
Spoon the mincemeat into the pies. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies.
STEP 5
Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. Will keep frozen for up to one month.
STEP 6
Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 mins until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with the icing sugar. Will keep for three to four days in an airtight container.
Ingredients for the most perfect Christmas pudding
Christmas Pudding. Prep 30mins long cooking time . 4 hours steaming initially and then 2 hours on the day of serving. It will be very moist.
Mixed Fruit -110g sultanas, 110g raisins, 275g currants
Brown Sugar – 225g
Teaspoon of mixed spice & salt
Flour – 50g
Shredded Suet – 110g
Grated Carrot
Grated Apple
Juice & Rind of a Lemon & Orange
Candied Peel - 25g
Breadcrumbs – 110g
3 Eggs
Brandy – 2 tablespoons
Sixpence
You will need 2 X 1.2 litre pudding bowls with lids
Butter to lightly grease the bowls
Method
Prepare fruit by having it all weighed out and ready
Same thing with breadcrumbs.
Have ready grater and knife
Mix the dry ingredients, ie the flour, salt and the spices together. Then add in your fruit and mix well. Make a point of making sure your suet which can be rather lumpy at times is really mixed in well
Grate in the zest of the orange and the lemon. Grate the apple, then add the juice of the orange and the lemon making sure not to leave any pips.
Grate in the carrot.
Mix really well.
Add your eggs and the brandy
You could also add in a coin of the realm , ie an old fashioned 6d or else a 5p piece wrapped in a very small piece of greaseproof paper ( he/she who finds this coin will have luck all through the year) But you cannot put the pudding into the micro wave and if you use a coin in the pud, watch out for it and warn your guests. Swallowed choking coins are not an option.
Separate your puddings into the 2 bowls, adding in the coins one per bowl. (Optional)
Pop them into a bigger saucepan than the bowls, making sure the water does not cover the pudding but just up within an inch or so of its side.
Put on a slow heat to steam not boil
Steam for up to 4 hours, making sure that you do not let the pudding bowls dry of water. To take even more precautions of not burning your pudding bowl, (you could use earthenware old fashioned ones if you like) place an old, upturned saucer at the bottom of the pan and place your bowl on that.
On the day of serving re steam for 2-3 hours and serve with brandy butter, brandy sauce, cream, or ice cream.
Bring to the table with some heated brandy poured over the top and ignite .