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In the kitchen with Darina Allen

Join Darina Allen in her home kitchen as she shows us how to make her famous Ballymaloe mince pies. You'll have enough mincemeat left over to gift to friends and family over the Christmas season, and mince pies that can be frozen and reheated for guests over the festive period.

Darina says, "We have so much fun with mince pies and do lots of variations. Sometimes we press out a star shape from the top, so the mincemeat is visible, then we use that star to cover the next one, a tiny heart can be put on top of another - whatever you decide will be perfect."



This recipe makes 20-24 mince pies.

    For the pastry:

  • 225g (8oz) plain flour

  • 175g (6oz) butter, chilled and cut into 1cm (1/2 inch) approx. cubes

  • 1 dessertspoon icing sugar, sieved

  • a pinch of salt a little beaten egg or egg yolk and water to bind

  • 450g mincemeat (see recipe)

  • egg wash

    • Ballymaloe Homemade Mincemeat:

  • 2 cooking apples, such as Bramley’s Seedlings

  • 2 organic lemons

  • 790g (1lb 12oz) Barbados sugar (moist, soft, dark-brown sugar)

  • 450g (1lb) beef suet

  • 450g (1lb) sultanas

  • 225g (8oz) currants

  • 110g (4oz) candied citrus peel (preferably homemade)

  • 62ml (2 1/2fl oz) Irish whiskey

  • 2 tablespoons Seville orange marmalade pinch of salt

Method

Make the mincemeat two weeks before you make your tarts. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Core and bake the whole apples in the preheated oven for 30 minutes approx. Allow to cool. When they are soft, remove the skin and pips and mash the flesh into pulp. Grate the rind from the lemons on the finest part of a stainless-steel grater, squeeze out the juice and stir into the pulp. Add the other ingredients one by one, and as they are added, mix everything thoroughly. Put into sterilized jars, cover and leave to mature for 2 weeks before using. This mincemeat will keep for two to three years in a cool, airy place. To make the tarts, sieve the flour into a bowl. Toss the butter into the flour and rub it in with your fingertips. Add the icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix with a fork as you gradually add in the beaten egg (do this bit by bit because you may not need all the egg), then use your hand to bring the pastry together into a ball: it should not be wet or sticky. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Roll out the pastry until it’s quite thin - about 3mm (1/8 inch). Stamp out into rounds 7.5cm (3 inch) in diameter and line shallow bun tins with the discs. Put a good teaspoonful of mincemeat into each tin, dampen the edges with water and put another round on top. Brush with egg wash and decorate with pastry leaves in the shape of holly berries, etc.

Bake the mince pies in a preheated oven for 20 minutes approx. Allow them to cool slightly, then dredge with icing or castor sugar.

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