Ballymaloe mince pies with various toppings and whiskey cream

Method

1. 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.

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

3. 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.

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

5. To make the meringue, check that your mixing bowl is spotlessly clean and free from grease. Put the egg whites and caster sugar into the bowl and whisk until the mixture forms stiff dry peaks. Pipe a blob of meringue on top of each pie with a large start nozzle. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool in the oven.

6. To make the almond crumble, mix together the flour and sugar and then rub in the butter with your fingertips to make a coarse crumble. Add the flaked almonds. Sprinkle a generous teaspoon of crumble on top of each mince pie. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

7. To make the whiskey cream, fold the whiskey and sugar into the whipped cream.
   
   From ‘A Simply Delicious Christmas’ by Darina Allen, published by Gill Books