Vickys Christmas Mincemeat Puff Pastry Pies

• 500 grams ready made puff pastry, see my free-from recipe linked below
• 115 grams caster sugar
• 400 grams of the mincemeat from the recipe below...
• 225 grams peeled, cored and chopped Bramley apples
• 110 grams shredded vegetable suet
• 110 grams sultanas
• 110 grams currants
• 175 grams raisins
• 90 grams mixed candied peel, finely chopped
• 20 grams glace cherries, finely chopped
• 175 grams soft dark sugar
• 25 grams flaked almonds, chopped
• 1 all the grated zest and juice from 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp brandy

1. To make the mincemeat, put all the ingredients into a large bowl except for the brandy, and combine well
2. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let sit in a cool dark place for 12 hours overnight to let the flavours develop
3. Preheat the oven on the lowest setting around gas mark 1/4 / 120C / 225F
4. Put the mincemeat mixture into a large ovenproof dish, cover with foil and bake for 3 hours
5. When you take it out it will look like it's swimming in grease, it's meant to so don't panic!
6. Let it cool stirring when you feel like it.
7. Stir in the brandy when it's completely cooled
8. This is enough to fill 3 x 450g steralised jars.
9. Fill the jars to the top and place a waxed disc on top before putting the lids on.
10. Will keep for a year in a cupboard.
11. Makes a nice Christmas gift if you tie a gift tag around the neck with pretty ribbon and the pie recipe below written on...
12. Preheat the oven to gas 7 / 220C / 425F.
13. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out 24 discs around 4cm sized
14. Put 12 pastry discs onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
15. Spoon some mincemeat onto the middle, don't go overboard as the suet will bubble out and burst your pies, leave room around the edge
16. Brush some milk around the edge and put the remaining 12 discs on top, pinching the sides together upwards to create a shell and lid and prick the tops with a knife
17. Brush the tops with some more milk, sprinkle with caster sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden
18. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving gently to a wire rack to cool completely
19. Serve cold with a dusting of icing sugar, or warm with some brandy butter or clotted cream and a glass of sherry!
20. Pure Christmas!

caster sugar, bramley apples, vegetable suet, sultanas, currants, raisins, mixed candied, glace cherries, sugar, almonds, lemon, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, brandy

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/334126-vickys-christmas-mincemeat-puff-pastry-pies (may not work)