A Countdown to Christmas Recipe: Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
A Countdown to Christmas Recipe:
Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
A Countdown to Christmas Recipe: Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
Nestled in the pantry amongst all my other tins and trays are two very special pie tins, or patty tins as they are sometimes known; belonging to me now, they were my grandmother’s and I treasure them more than anything else in my kitchen. Old and battered they may be, but they make the most amazing Mince Pies and other pastry favourites such as butter tarts, jam tarts and small savoury hand pies – they have beautiful shell and leaf patterns that are embossed on to any pastry case you bake in them, and their non-Teflon tin finish makes sure that there are no soggy bottoms too! Although I do use them throughout the year, I take them out with a special reverence at Christmastime for my mince-pie making sessions, and the memories of a dearly loved grandma and her warm, cosy kitchen come flooding back with such an intensity, that I can almost hear her telling me to make sure I wash my hands before I start to help her in the kitchen.
A Countdown to Christmas Recipe: Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
Whereas the tins used to be my grandmother’s, the basic pastry recipe I am sharing today is based on my mum’s shortcrust pastry, and is made with self-raising flour and NOT plain flour; this results in a lighter, fluffier pastry that is light and buttery, and softer than usual. Mum also adds orange zest and juice to her pastry sometimes too, but I am known for my Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies that uses a tangy orange pastry, and I am asked to make them every year. Basically, I glaze my pastry lids with beaten egg white and a dusting of caster sugar before baking them, and this creates a light almost meringue style finish with a crunchy coating of frosted sugar on top – very seasonal and also very pretty too.
Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
I am not a “Mince Pie Tweaker”, I have made other types of mince pies in the past, but it is my plain, unadulterated classic pies that I keep coming back to every year, and this recipe belongs to that culinary canon of “tried and tested” recipes that my family and friends like. I also like to snip the tops of my pies with a pair of scissors, to make a small cross shape, it makes the pies look almost Victorian, and again, I can remember my grandmother doing this to all her pastry lids too. These mince pies can still be made ahead of time, and then popped into the freezer UNCOOKED and IN their trays, wait until they are frozen, then ease them out of the tins (which is very easy if you have greased and buttered them) and store them in a sealed container or freezer bag until you need them. When you want to bake them, take them out of the freezer and sit them back in the pie tin, allow them to come back to room temperature for half and hour and then bake them as usual.
Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
This is my third recipe in my “Countdown to Christmas Recipe mini series” and I hope that you all enjoy them as much as we do. Today is the last Sunday in Advent, so we will be lighting our fourth candle – it’s also the last day I plan to have in the kitchen baking and prepping before the “big day”. If you are still getting ready for Christmas, then this is the perfect time to make these little mince pies, either to eat now or the pop in the freezer for next week. Have a wonderful day and I will be back with my LAST “Countdown to Christmas Recipe” soon, as well as some new giveaways and kitchen tips and hints for the festive season. Karen
Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
Print recipe
| Serves | 12 mince pies |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 12 minutes |
| Total time | 57 minutes |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Dessert, Side Dish, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour
- 115g butter (chilled and cut into small pieces)
- zest of 1 orange
- juice of 1 orange
- 12 tablespoons of mincemeat
- brandy (to taste)
- 1 egg white (beaten)
- caster sugar
Note
My mum's special shortcrust pastry made with orange zest and juice make the perfect packaging with these wee mince pies that have a sugar frosted glaze with a kick of brandy. Serve them warm with brandy or rum butter and/or cream.
Directions
| Step 1 | Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and grease a 12 hole patty tin with a little butter. |
| Step 2 | Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it all resembles fine crumbs. |
| Step 3 | Add the orange zest and then add the orange juice, bit by bit mixing with a knife until the mixture comes together to make shortcrust pastry. Cover the pasty in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. |
| Step 4 | Add some brandy to the mincemeat, unless there is already brandy in the mincemeat. |
| Step 5 | Roll out the pastry and cut out 12 circles to fit the patty tin - place the pastry in the patty tin and then add a tablespoon of mincemeat to each pastry case. |
| Step 6 | Re-roll the pastry and cut 12 smaller circles for lids, place them on top, pinching the edges together with a fork or your fingers. |
| Step 7 | Snip the top of each pastry top with some scissors to make an air hole. |
| Step 8 | Brush the beaten egg white on to each pastry lid and then sprinkle some caster sugar over the top. |
| Step 9 | Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the egg white and sugar coating have made a frosted glaze. |
| Step 10 | Allow to cool slightly and then gently ease the pies out of the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. |
The other two recipes in my Countdown to Christmas Recipe mini series are:
Christmas Sausage, Sage and Bacon Stuffing Loaf
Christmas Sausage, Sage and Bacon Stuffing Loaf
Frazzled Kale and Frisee salad with Pomegranate, Persimmon and Walnuts
Frazzled Kale and Frisee salad with Pomegranate, Persimmon and Walnuts
NB: My mum and grandma always used to make a Mincemeat Pasty with any pastry that was left! I just had to share the one I made…..
Mincemeat Pasty
A Countdown to Christmas Recipe: Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
A Countdown to Christmas Recipe: Sugar Frosted Orange & Brandy Mince Pies
Recipe for my Mincemeat is here:
The Scented Home, Flowers and Boozy Mincemeat for Let’s Make Christmas
Fat-free Boozy Mincemeat
Karen, your pies look delicious… interesting that you use self raising flour. I love that you have your grandmother’s tins! They are so beautiful, no wonder you treasure them. Happy Christmas to you.
Thanks so much Lizzy! Yes, I always make my pastry with plain flour, but mum makes hers with SR flour and it is so light and fluffy! Happy Christmas to you too! Karen
Oh I do like a hint of orange too in my mince pie pastry, and shall be baking mine today along with a few other festive goodies! Great tips on using self- raising flour for a lighter pastry, and just egg white and sugar on the top for a near meringue like finish, might try these out!
Thanks Lou! I love pastry made with SR flour, it’s one of mum’s little tricks for light pastry! Have a LOVELY baking day! Karen
oh I do love your mince pie tray, so pretty… such a lovely recipe too… merry chrimbo to you honey x
Thanks Dom – merry Christmas to you and the Viking too! xxx
Oh they do look wonderful Karen. I haven’t overindulged in mince pies yet, so I am still craving them. I must try your mum’s recipe for shortcrust. What a clever idea to use self-raising.
Thanks Jac! Mum’s use of SR flour really makes for light and fluffy pastry, and we all love it! Karen
I would treasure those tins too – aren’t you lucky to have them. Your mince pies look fantastic. Have a lovely Christmas!
Thanks Maureen – I am lucky to have to tins as so many people threw them out with the advent of non-stick tins. Merry Christmas to you too!
I love all of your trays – so pretty! Although I am not really one for mince pies I must say that these do look very inviting and could possibly turn me into a believer! Have a wonderful Christmas, Karen. Enjoy every day
It’s the quality of the mincemeat that makes a good mince pie Kellie, and my own home-made mincemeat is so frjuity and has NO fat in it! Have a wonderful Christmas too and see you in 2014 I hope! Karen
Looks delish- sharing. Happy Xmas Karen.
Merry Christmas to you too Bintu and look forward to seeing you again in 2014!
Happy Christmas Karen! Hope you and your family have a lovely relaxing break. I do adore a mince pie. I think the average person eats 27 per Christmas season but I can eat easily triple that! And what a glorious version you have here xx
I LOVE mince pies Kate and can inhale them in one go!!! Merry Christmas to you and yours too, Love Karen xxx
As an Italian I am certainly not very experienced at making mince pies, or let’s say, I have never attempted them and I just have shop bought ones. Not good enough really!
I really like this recipe and your tutorial. You make look everything so magical and special. I love all the food you do!
Have a fab Christmas!
You have a WONDERFUL Christmas too Alida! XXXX Karen
They look so light and fluffy, I bet they are a joy to eat, merry Christmas Karen x
Look gorgeous- merry Christmas x
These look lovely. Mince pies are a big part of xmas at home…
wow! these sound amazing!
Hi Karen,
Those tins are so beautiful and it’s lovely that you can use them and remember your grandmother. I’m going to keep my eyes out for something similar.
My father-in-law made something that was crust on the bottom, jam in the middle, and sponge on the top. He always made a big batch when we came up to visit and they have wonderful memories attached to them. Do you know what they were?
Happy New Year!
Abra
Sounds like individual Bakewell tarts. Bet they would be great with custard. They are a must try, thanks for the inspiration Abra. B-W Geoff in Cornwall
they look lovely!
Delicious at anytime of year:)
I don’t care that Christmas has passed! I’m still going to make these tasty mince pies 🙂
oh they look so yummy
wow these mince pies look amazing!
those mince pies look amazing – I’ve got to try them!! I always think homemade mince pies taste best, the pastrys always got so much more flavour.
Im surely goin to try these
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe with us, I’ve never made shortcrust pastry with SF flour, but I might give it a try when I make mince pies next Christmas. It’s great to see you using your Grandmothers tins, I also have a few baking bits from my Grandmother, who was always baking yummy things too.
I have printed this recipe off for later this year! My dad would love these!
These mince pies sound lovely.
Wow i am going to give this a try, have never done my own , its about i started , looks lush xxx
These look lovely, are mince pies, just for xmas?, i am going to try these out.excuse, testing for xmas 2014
these sound devine!
These sound and look absolutely delicious, I’m going to have to give these beauties a whirl 🙂
These look fab, I also have my Grandmothers trays and I’m the only one in my house allowed to use them 🙂 Wish I had found this a month ago but I’m going to have a go as I’ve still got some of my Mums homemade mincemeat left x
These look so good and such a classic…I wanna make some!
These mince pies look so nice, please send me some next year. x
bookmarked to try out later in the year, those tins are gorgeous, very jealous x
My family pastry recipe also uses s/r flour – but it’s made with lard, so it’s incredibly short (8oz flour, pinch of salt, 4oz lard and an egg to bind – plus however much water then has to be added to get to the right consistency). Just NEVER ‘rest’ it, you’ll lose it! It’s great for savoury and basic sweet recipes – so we would always have a corned beef and potato plate pie, with some jam tarts made from the rollings. And for mince pies, I totally agree with the patty tins for just the right ratio of pastry to mincemeat. It’s great to see ‘family’ recipes being treasured and passed on 🙂
I’ve just come across you on instagram and I’m also following you both on there and here on your blog. Your mince pies look so festive and they want to make me bake a batch even though the season for them is over. I look forward to taking a little look around your site and for your upcoming posts. Have a lovely Sunday!
Hi Laura! LOVELY to meet you via Instagram and now here! Likewise, I have bookmarked your site to have a look later on today! I am just about to post my recipe for Sunday! It’s great to meet new people…….you have made my day! Karen
Yummy all your food looks delicious x
Yum why keep these for Christmas!
I love this recipe as it is a bit different from the usual mincepies
LOVE Mince Pies and these look absolutely amazing!
mmmm, crunchy, fluffy, yummy and very deliciousness one..hard to resist at this amazing sweets..
Hello Karen,
I have a brother-in-law who dearly loves mincemeat pie. I usually bake him a conventional regular pie. These look like they came from a bakery shop with such a festive look to them. My question. I do not have fancy little pans like you do. Would a regular muffin tin ( 12 holes ) be able to be used? What width are your pie discs? Cheers !
Hi Vivi – I have an old patty tin that I use, BUT, a small muffin tin would do – they are about 2 1/2″ in width but not very deep……hope that helps? Karen
Hi Karen,
Thank you for a speedy reply. My regular muffin tin is 2 1/2 ” wide. It is 1 1/4 ” deep. So I think the shortbread crust recipe using my muffin tin would make six because I think your patty tins are not nearly as deep as my muffin tin. In order to make 12 I am going to double the amount of mincemeat and double the crust. I will let you know what happens.
Success! My brother-in-law LOVED them. First thing he said when I showed them to him, “They actually look like an old time tart from over in England.” I told him that’s because I got the recipe from an English woman online.
Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noel