Best pastry recipe for mince pies

[LadyRubyPenhaligon]

Mincemeat maturing nicely now I need a recommended recipe for the pastry. Thanks.

i make my own..., it's a bit vague as I use balance scales

1 block butter/stork
1.5 the weight of the butter in Self Raising flour
biggish handful of icing sugar
2 eggs

This makes enough for three/four dozen with some re rolling.

rub butter into flour, when it's all sandy texture and no big bits of butter crack in one of teh eggs, using a knife mix the egg through the flour and butter

you may need half the other egg, or just the yolk, or a splash of water, but keep mixing gently with the knife until the dough looks like it just needs pressed together, and then gently pat and press it into a ball with your hands

neither the bowl or pastry should be wet when you are done, and no crumbs left

ideally you sit it in the fridge for 20 mins or so, but I often don't bother

This is my handy Mince pie tip so pay attention!

Only roll out half at a time, it's easier and mince pie tip time Cut the lids out first, pastry always is best when not re rolled!

So roll out, cut the lids, roll out the other half for the bottoms

Egg wash the underside of the lids before you put them on, poke three holes in each lid once it is secure...it's the law.

Glaze with left over egg

Get the caster sugar dredged over them as they leave the oven and then it'll stick

AND yes i do mean SR flour....it really is nicer than plain. :D

I'm famous around my parts for my mine pies, I use this recipe and always have.

I naturally meant where I live, not my actual parts!

Thanks. Will give it a go.

I use Paul Hollywoods mince pie recipe from the BBC Good Food website. Pastry is lovely and crumbly and sweet and everyone always wants more!

I meant to come back to this to say

add some cinnamon to the flour...
or some orange zest...and use a splash of OJ with the egg to bind.

also a dod of marzipan is lovely with the mincemeat
or my personal fave is Almond Crumble mince pies...instead of a pastry top make a lovely buttery crumble and you want to allow half a dozen amaretti biscuits per dozen pies...crumble them into the flour/butter/sugar mix, add in some flaked almonds and put about a tablespoon on top of each mince pie instead of the pastry top

I usually make too much of the crumble, but you can put it in the freezer and just use it straight from frozen.

half fat to flour.

Plain flour, and I use 50% lard 50% stork marg (the hard one).

Enough cold water to make the right consistency for rolling - no idea, do it by feel.

Take a bit (handful?) of the flour out after you've weighed it, and use this for rolling out the pastry.

You need good cold hands when handling pastry, so if you're of the warm handed half of the population, run them under cold water for a bit first.

I just use a generic shortcrust and put a disc of marzipan under the mincemeat.

Or top with piped Viennese whirl instead of a lid.

Making first test batch now. Thanks for all advice.