The Fool's mince pie pastry

[johnstevens77]

No one has mentioned it yet, so here goes.

ORANGE MINCE PIE PASTRY
24 mince pies
http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8137079

1 lb strong plain (bread) flour
6ozs icing sugar
12ozs butter cut into large pieces
Finely grated rind and juice of a large orange

Method:-1, by hand.
Before you start, make sure all the ingredients and your hands are well chilled, and handle as little as possible.
Sift flour and sugar. Rub in butter. Using a knife, stir in grated ring and juice until pastry only just begins to stick together. Gather into ball and wrap in cling film. Chill before using.

Method:-2, with a mixer.
Weigh 8ozs of the flour into the machine bowl and 8ozs separately.
Add the cut butter to the machine.
Sift the icing sugar into the orange juice and zest.
Cream the butter and flour in the bowl.
Add the juice and sugar, mix in.
Add the remaining flour and just mix in.
Turn out onto a lightly floured cool surface and press together into a ball, wrap in film and refrigerate.

It's essential to chill this pastry very well before attempting to roll it out. Because of the high sugar content, it goes sticky very quickly.
Can be made in advance and frozen.

To make the mince pies:-
If only making a few at a time, weigh out pieces of 30 grams for the bases and 15 grams for the lids (depending upon the size required).
Roll the bases out and to the size needed and cut with a fluted cutter, roll the lids and cut with a round cutter.
Line the moulds, ¾ fill with mincemeat, brush the edges with milk and put on the tops. Make a slit for the steam to escape.
Brush with milk or beaten egg and bake 20 mins in a pre heated oven @200°C.
Cool a little in the tin, remove and onto a rack.
Only make as many as needed at a time as they are much nicer when fresh.

If making a large batch, then roll out as much as needed and cut out the bases, line the tins and ¾ fill with mincemeat. Brush the edges.
Use the trimmings with more pastry to make the lids.

john

[sg31]

Method:-2, with a mixer.
Weigh 8ozs of the flour into the machine bowl and 8ozs separately.
Add the cut butter to the machine.
Sift the icing sugar into the orange juice and zest.
Cream the butter and flour in the bowl.
Add the juice and sugar, mix in.
Add the remaining flour and just mix in.
Turn out onto a lightly floured cool surface and press together into a ball, wrap in film and refrigerate.

john

Hi John, I bought a mixer recently but I've only used it once since buying it. The arthritis in my hands is getting worse so I was tempted to use the mixer and your method 2. In the end I chickened out because I'd only got enough ingredients for 1 batch and was unsure about what I was doing.

Very basic questions but with using bread flour I didn't want to over work the pastry

Is the K beater the appropriate attachment to use to cream the flour and butter?

I presume a slow speed is appropriate, how long should it take to cream the butter and flour?

In the end I did it by hand and they turned out as good as ever.

[johnstevens77]

Method:-2, with a mixer.
Weigh 8ozs of the flour into the machine bowl and 8ozs separately.
Add the cut butter to the machine.
Sift the icing sugar into the orange juice and zest.
Cream the butter and flour in the bowl.
Add the juice and sugar, mix in.
Add the remaining flour and just mix in.
Turn out onto a lightly floured cool surface and press together into a ball, wrap in film and refrigerate.

john

Hi John, I bought a mixer recently but I've only used it once since buying it. The arthritis in my hands is getting worse so I was tempted to use the mixer and your method 2. In the end I chickened out because I'd only got enough ingredients for 1 batch and was unsure about what I was doing.

Very basic questions but with using bread flour I didn't want to over work the pastry

Is the K beater the appropriate attachment to use to cream the flour and butter?

I presume a slow speed is appropriate, how long should it take to cream the butter and flour?

In the end I did it by hand and they turned out as good as ever.

You should be able to make half quantity on the machine.
I cream it quite well as I do with my short and sweet crusts, makes a shorter crispier dough but needs a lot more TLC.
Use the "K" beater to cream and the dough hook for cutting in, but if you are happy doing it by hand, then that is good as well.
I made our first mince pies for Boxing day lunch dessert, served with ginger ice cream because that is what I have but vanilla would have been more appropriate. The pies were superb and thanks again to the original poster all those years ago.

john

[sg31]

John, thanks for the reply. It will be the machine next year but I'll do a dry run first to make sure they turn out ok.