Please help me make mince pies - My pastry is pants!

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

Help Help Help!

My oastry is so pants, I dont kno what to do no. Its too crunchy now, was bendy before, i just want nice like shop bought mince pies that I can say

'no, really, I made them myself, yes they are fab aren't they, yes i am amazing, thankyou'

Not too much to ask for surely!

buy the pastry

Make sure your hands are cold.

Make sure you use chilled butter.

Use a food processor lightly! Pulse don't leave it.

I was made by my mother to learn how to make pastry before I could by the ready made stuff and I don't make pastry any more. It's too much hassle. But every so often I come over all Nigella and find this recipe works for me:

www.channel4.com/food/recipes/shortcrust-pastry-recipe_p_1.html

WillTakeShortCutsTiggaxx

Using lard with the butter works a treat - they have different melting points so you end up with a lovely, crumbly texture.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/easy-mince-pies.html

This is a very good Delia recipe, and she uses lard and butter.

(I should have explained better - it gives a melt-in-the-mouth texture.).

I use the Nigella method of putting everything in the freezer for about 15 minutes first.
A food processor helps enormously. Add the water (also well chilled) slowly, and stop before you think it looks enough. Gather the pastry together in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes before using.

I couldn't make pastry at all before I tried this method, now it is pretty good. Unfortunately my DH then became coeliac, and gluten free pastry is a new challenge altogether!

thankyou, buying is the obvious answer but I'm feeling all goody housewife at the moment, hehe. will perseveer until success. (then buy from then on )

I second the nigella method works really well.
My pastry is GOOD!! ( but this is down to her tips, not me )
Also grate a bit of orange zest into the pastry and use fresh squeezed orange juice as the liquid to bind. Cuts through the mincemeat and makes them really light.

Message withdrawn

I was planning on using www.fashion-era.com/Christmas/christmas_food_mince_pies_recipe.htmthis mince pie recipe this year, the pastry sounds quite nice.

Almond Shortcrust Pastry

10 oz plain flour

6 oz butter

3 oz icing sugar

1 oz ground almonds

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons milk

The grated rind of a half a lemon - use the other half in the mincemeat mix.

Pastry Method by Hand

Before making the pastry sift the flour into a large bowl and cube the butter. Separate the egg from the white and reserve the white for a topping variant. In a cup, mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of the milk.

With your fingertips, rub the cubed butter into the sifted flour and ground almonds. Make sure the butter is just up to room temperature so you won't have to overwork the pastry. Add the icing sugar and grated lemon rind. Mix lightly.

Now add the egg yolk with 2 tablespoon of the milk mixture to the flour mix and form into a dough. If needed dribble on another 1 tablespoon of milk until you get a rough dough bind. The gluten in all flours varies so you will need to judge your flour. Much depends on the size of your egg yolk too.

Next turn the dough onto a floured work surface and just knead very lightly a few turns so it all joins together and the cracks disappear. Turn the mixing bowl upside down to cover the pastry and leave for about 10 minutes whilst you jazz up the bought mincemeat. This allows the pastry to rest.

Processor Method

I mostly make this delicate almond shortcrust by hand. On occasion I do whiz the dry ingredients in a food processor then I tip the dry mixed contents into a large bowl and add the wet ingredients manually, binding first with a knife and then with my hand. I find this works best for me rather than overworking the paste in the processor.

Ooops, here's a link that works! mince pies

I use a food processor and Mrs Beatons recipe in a book that was my great grannys

once you've made your pastry try not to work it too much either. Try and roll and cut out as few times as possible.

I can bake most things but i have always struggled with pastry, and so now i usually buy it, but am feeling inspired to give it another go.

Mrs Beeton is responsible for me finally mastering sponge cakes so i think i'll give her pastry recipe a go too.

Use:

• half lard and half butter, and - wait for it ....
• half self-raising flour and half plain (yes, really!) (or, even better if you can get your hands on it, just use flour type 405)

The fats should be cold when added and you may find you need to add slightly more water to bring the mix together than if you use with just plain flour.

Do not put the pastry in the fridge to rest, but use it immediately. It's much more elastic than butter-and-plain-flour-pastry and will be lighter and crumblier when baked.

Trust me, this works. We have a Mince Pie and Mulled Wine Party each Christmas for which I bake up to 250 mince pies and there are never any left .....

I would definately use Nigellas pastry recipe (where she uses half trex and half butter, and use some orange juice as well as water to mix) it always comes out beautifully.