Mince Pies

At home, I make mince pies only in December, but I discovered on the cake stall that they are popular all winter. For Christmas, I cut out a star shape from the pastry lids before covering the mincemeat and baking. Not only does this look attractive but it’s then easy to add a touch of festive spirit to the hot mince pies by trickling rum or brandy into them just before serving. For speed, a high-quality bought mincemeat can be used, though the home-made kind is naturally rather more delici