It’s that time of year where the mince pies start coming out, I love mince pies, do you? I have 3 girls and 2 of them like them and the other one doesn’t, so I always end up making some Jam tarts as well! Do you bake your own or buy from the shop?
Usually my mum normally comes armed with mince pies which are amazing but I do enjoy making them myself. Getting the pastry right can be tricky, as it doesn’t like being too hot, you can’t over work it etc etc and it’s easy to end up with tough pastry or a soggy bottom! If you do struggle with making pastry and end up buying the pre-made for ease that’s fine, but do check out our top tips for the perfect pastry, I promise you won’t look back!
- Use cold butter and chop into cubes, this makes it easy to rub in to the flour.
- Keep your hands cool, even if it’s running them under the cold tap before you handle the pastry.
- Add a tablespoon of cold water at a time to the mix, if it is too dry the pastry will just crumble, so add more water and if you need to add a little extra flour to make it less sticky.
- Always make it a little over sticky then add extra flour to reach the right consistency.
- Make sure you don’t over work the pastry, you don’t need to knead it, just handle it enough to to stamp out your cases and tops.
- Leave it to rest in the fridge, especially if it gets too warm. This is great if you have had trouble getting it to the right consistency and it is too warm, just pop it in the fridge to firm up again.
- Allow a little over hang in your tin & trim.
- Repair any tears with bits of left over pastry.
- Prick the bottom of your pastry when it is in the tin, no one wants a soggy bottom!
Do let me know if these tips have helped or do you have another question or stress when it comes to making pastry, pop me an email here.
Just for you, here is our recipe for a twist on the standard Mince Pies, Sticky Toffee Mince Pies, a little bit of luxury and added sweetness for the kids, plus they are delicious! Let me know how you get on!
