A batch of mince pies in the freezer is useful for Christmas visitors or an evening cup of tea. Take out the number you need, rather than opening a whole box.
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Christmas Nostalgia
Mince pies meant Christmas when I was little.
My granny and aunts would make them, and although I thought they tasted disgusting, I loved the smell of them baking and how lovely they looked, all golden and dusted with icing sugar.
Even now, a batch of mince pies takes me straight back to those family Christmases.
Make-Ahead Mince Pies You Can Freeze for Christmas
As an adult I have grown to really enjoy a good quality homemade mince pie.
You can do mince pies several ways: shop bought filling and pastry, all homemade OR a mix of both. I do a mix with as I like to make my own pastry but buy the mincemeat to save time.
It’s a simple way to make homemade mince pies without it taking too much time. And, it still inspires those cozy nostalgic Christmas memories of my wonderful Irish granny.
Bake a batch before Christmas and freeze them, ready for visitors or a cup of tea when you fancy one. You won’t regret it.
Homemade pastry or shop-bought
The recipe below uses a simple homemade shortcrust pastry, a traditional baking staple. Keep the butter cold and handle the pastry gently. If it gets soft while you’re working, pop it back into the fridge for a few minutes.
You can also use ready-rolled shortcrust pastry. Cut your bases and lids, fill and bake as below.
If you would like to make the mincemeat too
Jarred mincemeat keeps this recipe straightforward, but you can use Darina Allen and Rory O’Connell’s Christmas mincemeat recipe if you would like to make everything from scratch. I am a huge fan of the Darina and Rory’s recipes. If you don’t know them I urge you to look them up. Their work is an education to any home cook or baker.
A few simple tips
Don’t overfill the pastry cases, as the filling can bubble over and stick to the tin. Give each pie a little room for the mincemeat to expand.
Leave the baked pies in the tin for a few minutes before lifting them onto a cooling rack. They’re delicate while hot, and the filling needs time to cool too. They could very easily fall apart in your hand if you lift them out of the tin too soon.
Freezing and serving
Cool the pies completely, then freeze separately on a tray. Once solid, pack into a sturdy freezer-safe container, with baking paper between layers. Use within three months for best quality.
Defrost in a covered container in the fridge. Serve as they are or warm in the oven. Add icing sugar just before serving, and be careful with the hot filling.
Having a batch ready means you can take out a few at a time without baking again whenever visitors arrive.
For more ideas, see Christmas Food You Can Make Ahead and Freeze.
Make-Ahead Mince Pies
Ingredients
Method
- Put the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub together with your fingertips until crumbly, then mix in the salt.
- Add cold water gradually, just until the pastry comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Lightly grease a shallow 12-hole bun tin.
- Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick. Cut circles large enough to line the holes, then smaller circles for lids.
- Add a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat to each case, keeping it below the rim.
- Lightly dampen the pastry edges with water. Add the lids and press gently to seal. Cut a small slit in each lid and brush with milk.
- Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked underneath.
- Leave in the tin for five minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
