The Fastest Mince Pies Ever

Until you actually make these you’ll never appreciate just how easy and fast they are. You can freeze them and re-heat in a hot oven straight from the freezer.

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  Makes 28

Ingredients
¾ x 411 g jar Marks & Spencer luxury mincemeat
1 x 375 g pack fresh ready-rolled puff pastry
a little milk
42 whole blanched almonds
42 fresh cranberries
golden caster sugar, to dust
icing sugar, to serve
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

Conversions
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Equipment
You will also need a 1½ inches (4 cm) and a 2 inches (5 cm) plain round cutter and a large, lightly greased baking sheet.

Method

Begin by unrolling the packet of pastry, leaving it on the Cellophane, then just cut out 28 x 2 inch (5 cm) discs and arrange them on the baking tray. Next, using the 1½ in (4 cm) cutter, press this into the centre of each disc, making an incision to just three-quarters of the way into the pastry (but be careful not to go right through).

Now brush the edge of each disc with a little milk, then pile about a teaspoonful of mincemeat into the centre of each disc. Arrange 3 almonds on half the mince pies and 3 cranberries on the rest, then dust the nuts and cranberries with a little caster sugar. Bake the mince pies on a high shelf of the oven for 10-12 minutes or till golden, then remove them to a wire cooling tray.

Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar. Note: If freezing the pies, allow them to cool, then transfer to a plastic freezer box (layered with baking parchment). To re-heat, cook from frozen in an oven pre-heated to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C) for 4-5 minutes. Then dust with icing sugar.

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