Apparently I can't make very good mince pies.. Help!

[krustyloaf]

Basically I just made some and they were alright but I need to make some more this week for DGP and would like them to be edible amazing :D I'm fairly good at baking but haven't made m.pies since school.. Please help!

I have just made my first batch of pastry for this year's mince pies:
200g plain flour
100g butter
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp milk

They usually turn out to be very nice, and I imagine I will make a few more batches this side of Christmas. Does that help?

It does thanks :) are the egg, milk and icing sugar for the finish?

I used This recipe last week and it was very nice indeed. Grease the tins and they pop out really easily.

No the egg, milk and icing sugar go in the pastry - where you would use just water in a normal shortcrust. This makes a richer, crumbly pastry, that I LOVE with mince pies. When I remember, I brush the tops - often with just the egg white that's left over - to make them shiny.

I use this recipe- its foolproof and I get lots of compliments, its also added sugar and alcohol free.

I make my own mince meat- just dried fruit steeped in OJ or tea+ cinnamon nutmeg and veg suet.

I double or triple the pastry recipe and just tear off a lump of it, leave it to dechill and am never more than half an hour away from a tray of mince pies.

Thanks lovelies will try them all

also roll the pastry a little thinner than you might ordinarily, it helps with the proportion of pastry to filling.

if you like it you can put a little marzipan in too, a small bit like a big pea, or you can roll it out and cut teeny discs to pop on top of the mincemeat.

AND finally make sure to egg wash the bottom of the lid as you pop it on, then when you seal the edges it really sticks to the bottom bit of pastry and put three holes in each lid it's the law, no really it is!

I put stars on top and never eggwash the undersides.