I'm sure everyone thinks their mum makes the best mince pies. I'm one hundred and ten per cent sure mine does. The pastry is so flaky it crumbles and melts in the mouth; the mincemeat is not too sweet and rich, and plumped-up with dried fruits.


The pies are perfectly sized at just about two bites and decorated with stars as lids and a sprinkling of icing sugar. They're glorious and in my book about as good as mince pies get.


Mum does have cold-ish hands, which is always an advantage. But if you have a marble slab, a marble rolling pin or a cold bottle of wine from the fridge, you'll be fine.


The original mincemeat recipe is a Delia, but it has my mum's touch. The heavy suet is gone, replaced by lighter organic sunflower oil, giving a superior, more moist final product. It doesn't keep as long as the suet-based version, though, and if you prefer suet you can still include it.


The secret to the pastry is the addition of ground almonds, resulting in a nutty, crumbly crust. You could, of course, use shop-bought mincemeat, but I would urge you to give the pastry a go at home.

My mum's mince pies

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 115g plain flour
  
• 55g ground almonds
  
• 85g very cold butter
  

For the mincemeat (makes 1.35 kg)

• 225g bramley apples, cored and chopped small (no need to peel them)
• 4-5 tablespoons sunflower oil or 110g shredded suet
• 175g raisins
• 110g sultanas
• 110g currants
• 110g whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped
• 175g soft dark brown sugar
• grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 25g whole almonds, cut into slivers
• 2 tsp mixed ground spice
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tbs brandy

Method

First make the mincemeat by mixing all the ingredients except the brandy in an oven-proof bowl. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.

The next day, cover the bowl with foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 120ºC for three hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Don't worry about its appearance, but stir from time to time during the cooling process. Once the mix is cold, add brandy and put mincemeat in sterilised jars, sealing the top with a wax disc. The mincemeat will keep for up to three years in a cool, dark place.

To make the pastry put flour and almonds in a bowl. Dice butter and add this. You want it to stay as cool as possible so try to be light with your hands. Rub butter into flour and almond mixture lightly until you have a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs. Add a little cold water at a time until the pastry leaves the bowl clean and come away in a ball. Wrap it in cling film or a plastic bag and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

Grease a tart/pie tin with butter. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to thinner than half a centimetre. Cut rounds slightly larger than the size of the moulds in the tin with a pastry cutter or a knife and line moulds. Place a tablespoon or so of mincemeat in the centre of the pastry. Roll out the excess pastry and cut into whatever shapes you would like for the pie lids - we use a star-shaped cutter.

Brush the pies with a little milk and if you are completely sealing the pies with a lid, make a small cross incision in the top to allow the steam out. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool a little before sieving over icing sugar and serving warm.