What’s wrong with my minced pies?

[ViaRia01]

Hello Christmas bakers
i attempt minced pies every year but they never turn out looking right.
(it’s shop bought pastry and shop bought mincemeat so they taste ok)

The lids never stick properly to the pastry bases. They also shrink a bit in diameter and rise more that I would expect them to.

its shortcrust pastry.

kitchen is cold and worktops granite, the tray is cold when it goes in the oven and the oven is pre heated.

many pointers for batch # 2?

You need to wet the rim of the bottom pastry (use a finger dipped a few times in cold water) and then pinch the top layer and bottom layer firmly together, all the way around.

shop bought shortcrust is really not very different to home made.
Ignore the pastry snobs. It isn't bake -off!

You can also pinch the top and bottom pastry layers together by pressing them firmly with a fork.

You need a little cut in tbe top layer so that steam can get out as they bake.

@Notmetoo @MachineBee @Thingamebobwotsit @-all in team ‘make your own’, will homemade pastry help solve my problem of lids puffing up/ shrinking/ not sticking to the base, do you think? Genuinely asking…

Thinner pastry and a bit less filling than you might think. Mine never look brilliant, but so what? I make sweet pastry for them in the food processor.

I always have this problem too OP. I now don't bother with a pastry top and use a cinnamon and orange crumble topping instead. They go down very well and don't look messy.

I'm not saying you have to do this, of course, but h/m pastry is really easy & barely takes minutes: flour, rub in butter, egg / water to combine & you're all set.

@steppemum
It is if you don’t want all the extra emulsifiers, palm oil etc in it! Don’t get me wrong - I’m no ‘pastry snob’ but merely giving a suggestion.

I chill them in the tin before baking them. For at least 30 mins in the coldest part of your fridge, which in mine is the salad drawer. Stops them shrinking and puffing so much while cooking, and the mincemeat takes longer to get to the molten, bubbling over stage.

What's wrong with shop bought mincemeat? My homemade pies always look a bit rustic but they're still delicious fresh out of the oven. I just do a stAr top as well but might try a crumble one now. Cover with some icing sugar and no-one can tell how rustic they look.

Try sticking the lids down with some milk then going round the edges with the tip of a fork.

I do half of mine with pastry lids then the for the other half I make a crumble mix, you could buy ready made if you wanted, and mix in some crushed pecans, to sprinkle on the top. They’re my favourite ones. I’ve got loads in the freezer already done.

@ScrambledSmegs thank you, chilling in fridge before they go in the oven seems like it would be worth a try.

also crumble tops and star shaped lids… thanks to all those who suggested those. Options to try next year I think, if I can’t get these to work.

btw, I’m happy to serve these rustic ones… they taste fine. I just wonder how to get them looking more like mince pies

You're probably over handling and rolling your pastry too much. That will develop the gluten and make the pastry harder.

Don't turn pastry over; roll it in the same direction and move the pastry round slightly rather than rolling in all directions.
When you cut it out don't twist the cutter and aim for an even thickness. Don't keep re-rolling if you can help it - that's the most likely cause of your puffing lids as you'll be trapping air in it.

A star cutter would be easier and prettier and you don't need to stick lids down.

I know that's a lot of 'don'ts' but pastry is a delicate thing if you want it to turn out well.

I always make my own shortcrust pastry (using butter not margarine) which is very quick and easy using a food processor. It's so much nicer than the blocks in the shops.
The is a good recipe for mince pies from bbc good food.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/mince-pies

I think so. I used to use ready made pastry and had similar results to you. Even though I rolled mine thinner than I think you. Try your own pastry once and see how you go. If it doesn't work it is fine to go back to what you know 🙂

Thanks @Thingamebobwotsit

batch # 3 in the oven now and that’s the last of my mincemeat. Will no doubt need to keep trying once we get more mincemeat.

You can buy shortcrust pastry, it's the puff pastry thAt lifts off.

I have optimised mince pies, you need an egg cup. Make the lids a bit larger than you have. Put a little milk in a cereal bowl. Dip each lid into the milk both sides. Then use the upturned egg cup to seal the edges of the base and lid together.

I suggested homemade mincemeat next year. Shop bought/ready made pastry is fine. You just need to roll out the pastry thinner, use a bit of water to stick on the tops and make sure to put in some vents on the top.

its a possibility but not gaurteened

I think they look inviting! For the last four years we have made these (got the tip here).

Really good - never fail.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/unbelievably-easy-mince-pies

If your pastry shrinks it’s a fault. Make your own using the BeRo book recipe and stick pastry to pastry with cold water.
Traditionally mince pies should have a star on them and this gets round the lid issue.
Historically they were manager shaped with lids and contained meat. I wish I could find some tuna for manger shaped ones.

I use shop bought mincemeat as I prefer it having made my own a few times.

I chill the pastry once I’ve made it. roll it out thin and don’t put too much mincemeat in - a scant teaspoon. Pastry brush a little water round the rim of each filled pie and stretch the pastry lid on top crimping all around the edge to seal. Press down firmly to meld both bottom and top of pie together. A couple of knife slits in the top then brush with beaten egg.

The crinkly edge cutter is a very good point! The only time this has happened to me is when I used a straight edged cutter. Maybe it makes melding top and bottom of pie easier.

I was told pastry shrinks because you’ve stretched it.

When you roll, don’t lean hard on it. You are coaxing it to expand with repeated light rolling, not forcing it out as big and fast as you can. It grows in increments rather than a massive stretch.

Or is it ready rolled?

If so the fastest solution is a bigger base circle, less filling, and a little star on top.

If you definitely want a full top, you need to actually attach the top to the base using a fork or finger squeeze and milk.

And your pies are definitely better than shop ones.

I do serious cooking all year then at Christmas use all the shortcuts to allow time for other fun. So homemade roasties all year, frozen goosefat or beef dripping ones at Christmas.

Christmas is for fun and family , not perfectionism!