Ingredients

• 140g/5oz cold butter
• diced
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz ground almonds
• 50g/2oz golden caster sugar
• 1 orange
• zest only
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tsp cold water
• 280g/10oz good quality mincemeat
• 1 egg
• beaten
• icing sugar for dusting

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds
• caster sugar
• orange rind and salt until the mixture is a bit crumbly.
• Combine mixture with the egg yolk and 1-2 teaspoons of water until it forms soft dough
• then put it into a plastic bag and chill for 20 - 30 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2-3mm(0.1in) and cut out about 18 rounds measuring 7.5cm(3in) with a pastry cutter.
• Place in lightly greased patty tins and spoon the mincemeat evenly into the pies.
• Re-roll the leftover pastry and cut out round lids
• stars or other festive shapes to fit on top of the mincemeat.
• Lightly brush the pastry tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until golden.
• Remove from oven and leave for a few minutes before removing from tins and cooling on a wire rack.
• Dust with icing sugar.