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The ingredients for short crust pastry are on a kitchen countertop. A Christmas tree is in the background.
Elizabeth

Sweet, Short Crust Pastry for Mince Pie

Short crust pastry is a buttery pastry with a slight crispiness and a subtle sweetness. This pastry forms the base layer and the top layer of the mince pie.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 12 mini- mince pies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups All- Purpose Flour Spooned and Smoothed
  • 12 Tbsp Salted Butter Frozen and Grated
  • 12 Tbsp Cold Water Add a tablespoon of water at a time. Add just enough water to allow the pastry to just come together.
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar Sprinkle on the tops of the mince pies before placing in the oven.

Method
 

  1. Freeze butter. Grate frozen butter into a medium sized bowl.
  2. Add flour, powdered sugar, and cinnamon to the bowl and use fingertips to combine the dry ingredients with the grated butter.
  3. Slowly add cold water (1-2 Tablespoons at a time) until the mixture becomes a crumbly dough that "just" holds together. Try not to over mix, or overhandle, the pastry.
  4. Lightly flatten the pastry onto clear plastic wrap. Seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill (overnight it better).
  5. Once the pastry has been chilled, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 4–5-inch circular rounds. (You will need two rounds per mince pie.)
  6. Butter a muffin pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  7. Add one circle to the bottom of a muffin pan. Mold the pastry to fit the sides of the muffin pan. Add the mince pie filling and top with another pastry round. Gently press the pastry pieces together to form a seal,
  8. Make small slots for the steam to release- as the mince pies bake. Brush the mince pie tops with an egg yolk wash. Sprinkle one tablespoon of turbinado sugar on the tops of the mince pies.
  9. Bake for ten minutes at 400 degrees F. Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes- or until the pastry is flaky and golden brown- and the mince pie filling is bubbling.
  10. Allow the pies to completely cool before removing from the muffin pan. (Using a sharp knife to free any stuck sides of the pastry). Sprinkle the tops of the mince pies with powdered sugar. And serve with custard.

Notes

This pastry recipe can be used for other desserts or even savory foods (by simply removing the powdered sugar and the cinnamon).