Mincemeat recipe adapted from JoyofBaking.com
Pate sucree recipe is from pastry class
Begin at least one day ahead; the mincemeat needs to stand in the refrigerator overnight so the flavors marry. You’ll need four 5-inch pie pans for this recipe, or you may choose to make one large 9-inch pie instead. I used a lattice cutter for the top crust, but if you don’t have one you can cut strips of dough for a traditional lattice top.
7/8cup14 tablespoons/198g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2cup3.5 oz./100g fine granulated sugar
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1eggslightly beaten
Egg wash1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
Mincemeat
Place all of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, except for 2 tablespoons rum and 2 tablespoons brandy. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer the mincemeat stirring often for about 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, the liquid should almost be completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons each of rum and brandy. Let the mincemeat cool completely and then transfer to a covered container and place in the refrigerator. Let it stand overnight before using in the pie recipe. Mincemeat can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Pate Sucree
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter on top of the flour and pulse repeatedly in short bursts until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the vanilla and egg and pulse until the mixture forms a ball to one side of the bowl. Remove the dough and flatten into a circle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes before use.
Note: If storing for longer than one week, stir a little rum or brandy in every week to keep it from drying out and to preserve the mincemeat.
Assemble the Pies
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface using a floured rolling pin. Cut 7-inch rounds from the dough and fit the rounds inside the pie tins. Fill each pie with mincemeat. Gather the dough and re-roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a lattice cutter to cut the pastry, dust the pastry intermittently with flour so that the lattice design doesn’t stick together. Cut a piece of pastry to fit the top of each pie, using a bench scraper or spatula to lift the lattice top onto the pie. Press the top edge of the lattice crusts down onto the pies and cut away the excess. Brush pies with egg wash. Bake the pies for 12-15 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden brown. Let pies cool before serving.