FOOD & DRINK
Filo Pastry MINCE PIES
Sixteen year-old Imogen Palmer has putting her seasonal spin on a traditional recipe. For the less adventurous and for those not tempted to make their own mincemeat… grab a 600g jar of ready made instead. Let’s bake! INGREDIENTS Mincemeat 2 Bramley apples, finely diced 115g (4oz) raisins 85g (3oz) dried cranberries 100ml (3½fl oz) apple juice 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg zest of 1 orange finely grated 1cm fresh ginger finely grated 2 tbsp brandy (optional) Casings 6 sheets of filo pastry 115g (4oz) melted butter icing sugar for dusting
METHOD Place all mincemeat ingredients into a pan and cook gently on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mincemeat to infuse and cool. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas 4) Grease a 12-portion muffin tin generously with melted butter. Lay the filo pastry sheets on a flat surface. With a sharp knife or scissors cut each sheet into 6 equally sized squares. Keep the off-cuts for decorating later. Pile the squares on top of each other and cover with a damp cloth to stop them from drying out. Take three squares from the pile and brush both sides with melted butter,
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then lay them in the muffin tin, offset from each other at an angle, creating a star effect. Repeat this process 12 times to make 12 cases. Divide the mincemeat mixture equally and fill the 12 cases. Finely shred and randomly sprinkle the off-cuts of pastry over each pie, then brush with a little melted butter. Place in the oven and cook for 1214 minutes before removing and allowing the mince pies to cool a little. Dust with icing sugar and serve while warm.
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Top Tip: Serve with your favourite topping; vanilla ice cream, clotted cream, crème fraîche or custard
MAKES
12
December 2021 | SUSSEX LIVING 119
Dec21 Filo Mince Pies.indd 119
19/11/2021 11:29
