HOME MADE MINCE PIES AND JAM TARTS

Mince Pies (15 serving)
Ingredients:
Pastry
225 grams (8oz) self-raising flour or all-purpose flour
100 grams vegetable fat (vegan butter or margarin)
Pinch of Salt
Sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons water or soya milk

Filling & Topping

15 tablespoons (1 ¼ jars) mincemeat – Robertson’s or Sainsbury’s brand.
Various jam such as: blueberry, strawberry, marmalade, or any of your preferences.
Soya milk or vegan butter
Icing sugar

Directions :

1. Mix and stir the flour and salt; add some sugar (optional).
2. Add margarin or vegan butter, mix it very lightly with cold (not hot) hand so the pastry will not become hard.
3. After the butter mixed with the flour, add 2 tablespoons of water or soya milk (preference) and mix it into a soft dough. Add some more water if needed.
4. Mix it until the dough is good, which is when the mix basin is all clean.
5. Sprinkle some flour on a wooden board or anything with flat surface, put it also on the roller, then put some dough on the board.
6. Then roll lightly until it’s a little bit thin, about ½ millimeter, and then cut it according to the pie tin. Dip a little bit margarin in it and lay the dough in it. Press it to the base of the tin.
7. Preheat the oven about 230˚C; or 450˚F; or gas at mark 8.
8. Fill the pie with 1 tablespoon of mincemeat, then cut another smaller dough to cover the mince pie.
9. Wet the edge of the top with soya milk or butter so it will stick together.
10. Dab the top with butter so it will be more golden; be careful not to ruin the design.
11. Brush a little milk around the edge so that the edge also looks golden.
12. Use a toothpick and put 3 holes into the pie so that the air can come out.
13. Repeat step 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 for the remaining dough until it is finished.
14. Put all the mince pies into oven and wait for 15 minutes until they turn golden brown.
15. You can serve this with whipped cream and a little sugar on the top. Put a little icing sugar over it.

Just fill in the pie with 1 or 2 spoonful of your preferred jam and baked it at 180˚C, or 400˚F, or gas mark 6. Other steps are similar.
The mince pie can be served hot or cold. But for the jam tart, wait until it’s cool before serving.

Ingredients:
150 grams chopped vegetable suet
150 grams chopped Brambly apples
150 grams chopped black seedless grapes
125 grams chopped currants
150 grams chopped sultanas
40 grams mixed peel
30 grams dried cranberries
60 grams almonds
Juice of one orange
1 grapefruit - zest and juice only
250 grams brown sugar
10 grams Chinese five-spice powder
5 grams powdered cardamom
½ teaspoon of grounded nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon – powder

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together
2. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing it to rest on the surfaces of the mince meat so that no air will get in; allow to stand for 12 hours or longer if possible
3. Fill a pie trays ¾ full
4. Brush pastry with soy milk and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown at medium heat (180 Celsius)