Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• boiled for 1 hour until soft
• left to cool
• 100g/3½oz raisins
• 100g/3½oz sultanas
• ½ Bramley apple or similar large cooking apple
• peeled and chopped
• 100g/3½oz dried mixed fruit
• 75g/2½oz mixed peel
• 100g/3½oz suet
• 100g/3½oz dark brown muscavado sugar
• 100g/3½oz currants
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 50ml/2fl oz brandy
• 50ml/2fl oz sherry
• 450g/1lb plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 240g/8oz unsalted butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 140ml/5fl oz orange juice
• 2 oranges
• zest only
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• whipped cream
• brandy butter or ice cream
• to serve

Directions

• For the mincemeat
• cut the boiled
• cooled lemon in half and discard the pips.
• Blend the lemon
• raisins
• sultanas
• chopped apple
• mixed fruit and mixed peel in a food processor to a paste.
• Transfer the lemon mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the suet
• muscavado sugar
• currants
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• mixed spice
• ground ginger
• brandy and sherry. Mix together until well combined
• then set aside overnight.
• For the orange pastry
• grease one large or two small muffin tins with butter. (You will need a tin with 15-18 wells.)
• Blend the flour
• baking powder
• butter and sugar in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the orange zest and blend until well combined
• then gradually add the orange juice
• blending continuously
• until the mixture comes together as a dough. (You may need to a little extra cold water.)
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface
• knead lightly until smooth
• then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Cut the chilled pastry in half. Roll out one half of the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ½cm/¼in thickness. Using a 7cm/2½in pastry cutter
• cut out 15-18 discs (as the mixture allows) and place one into each of the muffin tin wells.
• Spoon a tablespoon of the mincemeat mixture into each of the mince pie cases and brush the rim of each pastry case with a little beaten egg.
• Roll out the remaining pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ½cm/¼in thickness. Using a 5cm/2in pastry cutter
• cut out 15-18 discs and place one on top of each mince pie. Press together the edges of the pastry to seal.
• Brush the remaining beaten egg over the tops of the mince pies. Using a knife
• make a small steam hole in the top of each pie.
• Transfer the mince pies to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes
• or until pale golden-brown.
• Serve warm or cold with whipped cream
• brandy butter or ice cream.