MINCE PIES

350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for rolling
75g (3oz) butter, chilled and cubed
75g (3oz) lard, chilled and cubed
2 tbsp cold water
Roughly ½ 400g (14oz) jar mincemeat
milk to glaze
Icing sugar to decorate

Heat the oven to 200°C - Gas mark 6.

Mix together the flour, lard and butter until they form fine crumbs. Then add just enough cold water to mix to a dough that leaves the bowl clean.

Leave the pastry to rest in a polythene bag in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, then roll half of it out as thinly as possible and cut it into two dozen 3 inch (7.5 cm) rounds, gathering up the scraps and re-rolling.

Then do the same with the other half of the pastry, this time using the 2½ inch (6 cm) cutter.

Now grease the patty tins lightly and line them with the larger rounds. Fill these with mincemeat to the level of the edges of the pastry. Dampen the edges of the smaller rounds of pastry with water and press them lightly into position to form lids, sealing the edges.

Brush each one with milk and make three snips in the tops with a pair of scissors. Bake near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on a wire tray and sprinkle with icing sugar. When cool, store in an airtight container.