Christmas Food; Mincemeat And Marzipan Slice

I love mince pies.  They just had to be my favourite part of Christmas.  I usually start making them mid-November and make at least one batch a week.  I also make them as gifts for friends.  I think as you get older a festive gift of food is so much nicer.  To make my mince pies I use my Nan’s pastry recipe which is just perfect.  She was an amazing sweet pastry cook and everyone I know loved her mince pies.  Mine are good but will never taste like hers!

To make the mincemeat and marzipan slice I have used my Nan’s pastry recipe which you can find here.  Once you have made your pastry allow it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Take 2/3 of the pastry and roll out and place in your greased and floured baking tray, pushing into the corners.  At this stage don’t cut off the excess pastry.

Nest spread your mincemeat all over the pastry and add balls on marzipan.

Roll out the remaining pastry and cut strips for the lattice top.  Now you ‘plait’ the strips by going under and over alternatively until the top of the slice is covered.  With a pastry brush and water, glue the sends of the strips to the sides of the tin, then cut away any excess pastry from the sides.  Beat one egg and brush the top of the pastry and sprinkle some caster sugar on the pastry.

Bake in the oven for 15/20 mins until golden brown at 180 degrees.  Place the baking tray on a wire cooling rack and allow for the slice to cool fully before taking out of the tin.  Cut into slices and enjoy!  This makes a lovely alternative to Christmas pudding and can be served on its own or with custard, ice cream or brandy sauce.

Are you a fan of homemade mince pies?