Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. To make the sweet pastry, rub the flour, butter, sugar and egg together with a splash of cold water until it just comes together as a dough. Do not over work the dough. Wrap the pastry in cling film and set aside to chill in the fridge while you make the filling. This is known as leaving your pastry to rest. You do it to try and minimise the pastry in your baking tins from shrinking once you cook it. You can simply leave it in the bowl and pop it into the fridge. 5. Lightly flour table top and roll pastry out on it Nowadays, the classic mincemeat ingredients are a lot sweeter and include a variety of fruits such as apples, dried raisins, lemon, currants and brandy. But like all long-serving recipes, they can be open for interpretation. Here are some tasty additions to jazz up your shop bought mincemeat...

Tips for living well – get our free Food & Health newsletter - shop savvy, eat well, stay healthy How to make easy mince pies If you’re a mince pie novice then you’ve come to the right place. Our food editor has opened up her recipe book and given you access to the simplest step-by-step guide there is. Top with frangipane, smooth and sprinkle with flaked almonds and then a tablespoon of castor sugar.

Combine all of the ingredients for the mincemeat in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover with cling film and leave for 24 hours. To create these mince pies you will need a food processor. Make sure you get the ultimate mince pie by using the ultimate product - find out which are the best food processors. Paul Hollywood's frangipane mince pies If you want your shop-bought mince pies to create a real wow factor with your guests, try some of the following ideas. Mulled wine, port, hot chocolate (family-friendly or with a splash of rum), sloe or damson gin are always well received with mince pies – as is a nice cup of refreshing Earl Grey tea. I prefer mine served with clotted cream or Cumberland rum butter – a combination of dark brown muscovado sugar, butter, rum and a hint of nutmeg.

To make the filling, turn the mincemeat out into a bowl, grate the zest of the tangerines into the mincemeat, then peel and chop the fruit. Throw the tangerine and apple pieces into the bowl and blend by hand. If you don’t fancy making your own. Our experts have taste tested premium mince pies and there was one clear winner. Discover which supermarket made this year's best mince pies. Easy mince pies with pastry that will impress Paul’s recipe steers a little more away from your classic pie but is equally delicious. Adding a frangipane pastry to the top of the mincemeat not only offers an alternative taste but also makes the casing look a little more delicate.Chocolate - If you really want to experiment then try stirring in a little grated chocolate or melting it into the mincemeat.

Cut out another 12 slightly smaller discs and use to cover the mincemeat. Press the edges together to seal. Make a small slit in the top of each, then brush lightly with milk. Chill for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Brush the lids with beaten egg and then use a small knife or skewer to make a slit in the top of each pie. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and then transfer the tray to the fridge for 30 minutes. Place the 12 large pastry circles into the bun tin. Add a teaspoon of mincemeat to each bottom. Then place one of the stars on top of each.Using a large pastry cutter make 12 circles and then 12 stars using a small pastry cutter. 7. Place the 12 large pastry circles into the bun tin Orange/Lemon zest - Some people find that shop bought mincemeat can be a too sweet. Try adding some orange or lemon zest to balance out the flavours. And once you’ve mastered those, keep reading. We have some fancier alternative mince pie recipes for you too.