Name: A Jolly Good Mince Pie
Yield: Makes 18 small pies
Ingredients: 75g unsalted butter; 75g lard; 150g plain all-purpose flour; 1 egg yolk; 375g good-quality mincemeat; Powdered sugar, for dusting; You will also need a 12-hole tartlet tin, each hole measuring 6cmx2cm deep (It is best to bake the pies in a batch of twelve, then a second of six.)

Rounds of bitesized encased pastries arranged with branches and pinecones on a dark wood table dusted with powdered sugar.

Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

A classic, simple mince pie, devoid of bells, whistles and creative meddling. The pastry is a rich but workable short crust. It won't collapse in the carol singer's mittens. The pies themselves will stand or fall by the quality of mincemeat. Go for broke, Christmas is not the time for parsimony. The little darlings are at their most delicious when eaten warm. Baked a day or more before, they reheat nicely.

Recipe notes

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