Mum's Clementine & Cointreau Mince Pies
Day 2 - Mince pies are a staple of British Christmas traditions. Nothing quite says Christmas like the warm, sweet aroma of freshly baked mince pies with a spoonful of clotted cream. This classic dessert has been enjoyed by generations and is a beloved treat for families to make and enjoy together during the festive season. Join me as I take you through the process of making these delicious treats using my mothers brilliantly festive recipe. Get ready to spread some holiday cheer with my guide to making mince pies!
Making mince pies is not only a delicious activity but also a fantastic opportunity to involve the whole family in the process. It's a great way to spend quality time together and create lasting memories. I remember always helping my Mum and Nan at Christmas make the all butter pastry and then over filling the cases with mincemeat mixture.
To make these delicious seasonal treats you will need...
Ingredients
- 225g Plain Flour
- Pinch Of Salt
- 150g Butter (cold and cubed)
- 75g Caster Sugar
- 1 Egg (extra for brushing
- 1 Egg Yolk
- Mum's Mincemeat (which is top secret, or use a jar of good quality mince meat)
- Zest Of Clementines
- 2 tbsp Of Cointreau
Method
- Night before you want to make your mince pies, I suggest making your pastry to give it time to rest before rolling and working with it.
- For this put all your ingredients except the zest, Cointreau, and mince meat into a food processor and start to blend.
- Stop blending as soon as a ball of dough has formed. Over working/blending will make the dough and pastry really tough,
- Cling film the ball and chill for at least 2 1/2 hours but ideally over night is best.
- Empty your mincemeat into a bowl and now it's time to add in the zest of the clementine's along with the Cointreau and give it a good mix to combine.
- Roll out the pastry to be around a £1 coin in thickness. Using the round cutter to cut out circles for the base of your pies and press them into the mince pie tray.
- Once all are covered, fill with your mincemeat mixture. Be case not to over fill them like I use to do when younger, otherwise you will have mince pies leaking everywhere and the sticky mess although yummy, isn't fun to clean.
- Cover with the pastry lids you've cut using a slightly smaller round cutter, or if like me I use fancy festive cutters like snowflakes, Christmas trees etc.
- Brush over the lids with a little egg and cook for around 20 mins at 160c until golden and bubbling.
- Once cooked, leave in the trays to cool slightly before carefully lifting them out onto a cooling rack.
So there you have it, my mum Clementine & Cointreau Mince Pies. Perfect for this time of year. I have to admit, I will be making it again this evening ready for our friends and family get together.
When it comes to serving, there are several options to consider. Mince pies are typically enjoyed warm, so you can pop them in the oven for a few minutes before serving to heat them up. Dust them with icing sugar for a touch of sweetness and serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream ,a scoop of vanilla ice cream or my go to favourite clotted cream. The contrast of the warm pie with the cold cream or ice cream is simply heavenly. If you're feeling fancy, you can also serve your mince pies with a a spoonful of Cointreau cream which can be purchased from Waitrose. The rich flavours complement the sweetness of the mincemeat filling perfectly. Alternatively, you can serve them with a side of custard for a classic British twist.
If you have any leftover mince pies (we never do), you'll want to store them properly to keep them fresh for as long as possible. Once they have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in aluminium foil. This will help prevent them from drying out or becoming stale. Store them at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
If you make this dish, why not send me a picture on Instagram using the #acountrygirlskitchen so I can go over and show it some love.
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
*Chefs Kiss*
