Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the pastry in a large bowl or food processor by blending the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the sugar and orange zest and then 2 tbsp water.
- Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding a few more drops of water if it feels a little dry.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/375F/gas 4.
- Roll out half the pastry (keep the other half wrapped in the fridge) on a lightly floured surface. You want the pastry to be very thin, so it is crisp when cooked.
- Cut out 12 circles of pastry with a plain 6cm cutter (you will need to re-roll the pastry a couple of times) and use to line a 12-hole, non-stick cup cake or mini muffin tin.
- (It is quite a soft pastry, so any little gaps that form as you are lining the holes can easily be patched up.).
- Chill while you make the topping.
- In a small bowl, make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and almonds.
- With a teaspoon, fill each pastry case with mincemeat, gently pressing it down to leave room for the topping.
- Sprinkle the topping over each pie, place the tin on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden.
- Leave the pies to cool in the tin before taking them out carefully. They are fragile when hot, so use a small knife to help lift them out.
- Unless you have two tins, repeat the process with the second batch of pastry, filling and topping.
- Eat the mini mince pies warm or cold, lightly dusted with icing sugar and served with whipped cream or brandy butter.