Tasty traditions...

Mince pies are a very tasty part of the Christmas tradition!

It is also common for children to leave a mince pie or two out for Santa

on Christmas eve,

often with a glass of something warming such as brandy.

Somehow, these are always gone by the next morning...

For the pastry:
225g plain flour

50g ground almonds

140g butter , cut into small pieces

grated zest of 1 orange

50g golden caster sugar

1 egg yolk

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For the filling and decoration;

200g mincemeat

1 egg white , lightly whisked

golden caster

and icing sugar, for dusting

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Put flour, almonds, butter, orange zest and sugar in a food processor

and whizz into crumbs.

Add the egg yolk and a teaspoon of cold water and pulse to form a dough.

Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6.

Roll out the dough thinly and, with an 8-9cm plain cutter,

stamp out 18 rounds - they need to be larger than the bun tin holes.

Use to line one and a half 12-hole bun tins, pinching and fluting the dough

edges above the level of the tins with your fingers.

Put a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat in each case.

Quickly knead the trimmings and roll out.

Use a star cutter to make 18 stars. Put a star on top of each pie.

Brush stars and pastry edges with egg white and dust lightly with

caster sugar. (The pies can be frozen at this stage in the tins, then removed,

packed into freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months.)

Bake the pies for 12-15 minutes (18-20 minutes from frozen) until the pastry

is crisp and golden.

Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.