Mince pies with star tops instead of traditional lids

I mostly do mine this way. A tiny drop of water ( or maybe booze) in each one seems to work.

Mmmmm, looks great Ginny

Witzend I wouldn't have any alcohol in them, for a school Christmas Fair. Just add orange juice.
They do look nicer with a pastry star.

You could use some food colouring and make little sprigs of holly to go on top.

I definitely stick with the sealed in mincemeat and the traditional tops. If some don't turn out decent, I eat them myself, or put them underneath the better ones. Or serve them in a dim light.

Could you chop up a cooking apple (Bramley) and add to the mincemeat?

I've found some bought mincemeat is so juicy it spills out of the pastry and becomes glue-like on the tins.

It depends on how much liquid is in the mincemeat to start with, I haven't opened the jars of Delia's made last year but it did seem more dense, drier than the bought stuff last year.

JackyB

I definitely stick with the sealed in mincemeat and the traditional tops. If some don't turn out decent, I eat them myself, or put them underneath the better ones. Or serve them in a dim light.

I do think the shop stuff is more liquid-y than home made - I suppose it’s cheaper to make.

It’s already got apple in, Callistemon , not sure I can be faffed to chop up more, esp. since in addition to mince pies I shall be making 8 litres of soup next Saturday! ?
No freezer space to store pre made mps, alas.

So perhaps just some orange juice, though I’m tempted to mix it with Filfar (delectable orange liqueur from Cyprus, we still have some in the cupboard) though perhaps not for the school fair! Bit of a waste, quite apart from other considerations.

MissAdventure

You could use some food colouring and make little sprigs of holly to go on top.

That would assume that I’m remotely artistic! Any such thing I tried would probably turn out like drunken caterpillars!

Mine usually look dreadful but taste ok.

I used to be able to make better cakes and pastry when I had my old Canon gas cooker.

Always do this, always have. I like as little pastry in a mince pie as possible.

Well you all have my mouth watering now! Got an Asda delivery coming in next 30 mins, why oh why did I not add mince pies!!! ?

I wouldn’t mind what they looked like if they were just for us, but would rather not send somewhat scrappy looking ones to the fair. Not that dd would care, she’d say they were lucky to get them at all!

M0nica

Always do this, always have. I like as little pastry in a mince pie as possible.

I'm with you on that one, M0nica. I also prefer the ones with icing on the top to the fully enclosed pastry ones.

I always make mince pies with star lids, not so doughy, and my recipe suggests putting a teaspoon of cream cheese underneath the mincemeat. Never have because they are small ones, but it might counteract the dryness. Don't overcook them.

eazybee

I always make mince pies with star lids, not so doughy, and my recipe suggests putting a teaspoon of cream cheese underneath the mincemeat. Never have because they are small ones, but it might counteract the dryness. Don't overcook them.

Jocelyn Dimbleby's recipe suggests a teaspoon cream cheese too, I'd forgotten that.

I'd like to try the frangipane tops. Does anyone have the recipe please?

Oops sorry just found it on the Sainsbury site.

Intrigued about the cream cheese. Under the mincemeat? Directly on the pastry? Doesn't it make for a soggy bottom?

I ended up putting a few drops of fresh orange juice in each one, before adding the star top. Seemed to work fine.

My mother used to pipe a Viennese whirl mixture onto the top of her mincemeat they were absolutely amazing.

Personally I like the ones with a crumble topping!

Chop up a couple of clementines and put in the mincemeat.

I started putting star tops on mine a few years ago. You use less pastry meaning more mince pies ??