Mince pies are arguably the most festive food when it comes to Christmas.  Turkey has it’s place but really you’re only eating that for one day and then cursing the leftover carcass.  Same with pigs in blankets, but lets not kid ourselves; there are never any pigs in blankets left over.  Christmas pudding? No one really eats that voluntarily more than once.

Mince pies are there for you at the beginning of the Christmas season and it’s practically socially acceptable to eat one every day.  For breakfast or something, we don’t judge here.

These mince pie plaits are a fancy twist on the regular sweet short crust pastry based mince pies.  Traditionally, a mincemeat plait is massive but these dinky versions are perfect for one.

Ingredients

1 x 375gr block/pack of puff pastry

200gr mincemeat

1 egg beaten with a splash of cold water for an egg wash

Method

1.  Preheat your oven to 200o/c and line a baking sheet.

2.  Roll out your pastry into a large rectangle around 3mm thick.  Cut into eight squares that measure roughly 8cm by 12 cm.

3.  Add a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat down the middle of one of the rectangles and even out.

4.  Make cuts in the sides of the pastry up to the mincemeat and then alternating sides, fold over the little strips.  It helps if you pull them very gently then cross them over.

5.  Glaze with the egg wash and arrange on a baking sheet.  These won’t really spread when you bake them but leave a little room around them so that air can circulate.

6.  Bake for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Best eaten warm and dusted with icing sugar.