Mincepie help needed!!

[JumpingJackFlasher]

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have you got pastry cutters?

practice size by cutting one bigger than the hole for the pie, see if fits well, to be the base of the pie. then lid must be about same size as the hole.

if no pastry cutters use a thin rimmed glass or mug, and a smaller one for the lid.

you should roll the pastry as thinly as you can really as a higher proportion of mince meat to pastry makes it extra yummy.

brush the pastry edges with milk to help seal after you attache lid to base of pastry case. also you can use a little beaten egg i think. remember to prick with a fork. sprinkling a little caster sugar on the pies is good too.

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i've never had proper cutters and still consider myself a mince pie queen! so don't worry.

this year went slightly off piste and made jamie oliver's puff and filo pastry mince pies which were pretty good too

I disagree about thin pastry. I made mine this year by just sticking a wadge of pastry in a ball in the bottom of the tray and pressing with my fingers until it covered the base and edges. I kept it fairly thick and they are yummy. As to the lid, I used a star cookie cutter and put a star ontop of each one instead of the lid - they looked great. I did not need to brush with milk to make them stick at the edge. I did bursh the top with beaten egg though. And then sprinkled with icing sugar when they came out of the oven.

I do little stars instead of tops too, as then it doesn't matter if you can't be bothered to seal them. And I never bother brushing them with milk or egg either. I don't sprinkle them with caster sugar but I do like them to have a bit of a snow of icing sugar just before serving.

If you freeze your mince pies when you have made them in advance, what do you do to reheat them? Do you defrost and then put in oven or do you do them straight from frozen?

I defost first then just reheat (gas 5) for about 10mins untill warmed through. If unsure put a knife in and scheck if tips warm./hot.

Thanks