Christmas Pastry

This is a slightly special pastry for the Christmas season, especially good for home-made mince pies!

The amount of mince-pies you will get from these quantities will vary depending on whether you favour lidded pies, open pies or mini mince pies!

8oz  plain flour

1 1/2 oz icing sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

5oz butter, straight from the fridge and cut into small cubes

Grated rind of one orange

4 tbsp cold water

(If you have no fresh oranges to hand you can make this recipe by substituting the rind and the water for and equal amount of orange juice)

Sift together the flour, icing sugar and cinnamon. Rub in the chilled butter until the whole mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Cold hands and chilled butter are essential to making good pastry. If you suffer from hot hands it is worth running them under cold water and drying thoroughly before rubbing in the butter. It is also why butter is best used straight from the fridge and not left at room temperature before rubbing.

Once you have that mixture looking like breadcrumbs you an stir in the grated orange rind. 

Add small amounts of the water until you have to knead the dough instead of stirring it. If you add too much water by mistake just add a little more sifted flour until the balance is restored. Once its properly kneaded it should be smooth and pliable.

Wrap the pastry in cling film and pop in the fridge until it is needed.

Autumn Pear and Spiced Cranberry Relish

A great Autumn/Winter preserve. Especially good eaten with a cheese platter and oatcakes, maybe with a wee glass of Port ;-) 

Ingredients to make roughly four 250g jars

1 onion, finely chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

6 fl oz raspberry or cider vinegar

5 oz caster sugar

2 garlic cloves, sliced

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground allspice

1 small tsp dried chilli

11 oz dried cranberries

4 pears, cored and cubed, peel left on

Put all the ingredients except the pear in a non-reactive saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring to make sure all the sugar has dissolved. Add the pear and continue cooking until the mixture has the consistency of thick jam.

Sterilize your jars.

Spoon the hot relish into still hot jars and seal. Leave to cool.

They will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Once opened, relish is best eaten within 2 months.

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Mincemeat

Take 40 minutes out of your day and make enough mincemeat to see yourself and half your family through the mince-pie eating season! I usually keep a few jars for myself and use the rest of the mincemeat to give away as early Christmas treats. Buy some nice new jam jars (loads available online!) fill to the brim with this pretty mincemeat (the cherries and cranberries make it far more attractive than shop brought stuff). Tie a piece of ribbon around the neck and take as a gift to friends when you visit during November and December. Everyone likes unexpected gifts and it gives them a chance to use it when making their own mince-pies before Christmas.

Ingredients to make  roughly 3lb mincemeat

4 bramley apples, peeled, cored and grated

12oz light muscovado sugar

Zest and Juice of 1 orange

Zest and Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp each of ground nutmeg, cloves and allspice

4 oz dried cranberries

4oz golden raisins

4 oz sultanas 

4 oz glace cherries

3 ½ fl oz brandy

3 oz flaked almonds

4 oz vegetable suet

Put the grated apple and any juices, sugar, zests and citrus juices into a large saucepan. Bring gently  to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the spices, dried fruit and brandy. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, stir in the almonds and suet.

Divide between sterilized jars. Press down to push out any air between spoonfuls and seal.

Will keep unopened in the fridge for months, so perfect to get some Christmas cooking out of the way during Autumn!