Speedy Mince Pies

Name: Speedy Mince Pies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 x pre-rolled sheet of shortcrust pastry; 400g mincemeat; 1 egg, lightly beaten; icing sugar

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This foolproof recipe for Speedy Mince Pies is one you'll be making on repeat this December, you'll have a delicious batch fresh from the oven in just over 30 minutes! Grab a sheet of shortcrust pastry, your favourite jar of mincemeat, and let's get baking the perfect mince pie!

Plate of six mince pies topped with pastry stars.

Mince Pies are the quintessential taste of a British Christmas, but so many shop-brought versions are really sad with too-thick pastry and not enough filling.

But, you never need to eat a depressing mince pie again because they're so easy to make at home (without the need to make the pastry from scratch, though of course we're not going to stop you!) with this Speedy Mince Pies recipe!

Why you will love this cheat's mince pie recipe:

All you need to do is assemble a couple of good quality ingredients.
They take away the fuss from Christmas entertaining.
You can easily make these up to a month ahead with the freezing instructions below!

Ingredients:

Mince Meat - use your favourite, unless you've made your own this year!

Pre-rolled sheet of shortcrust pastry - try to buy one from the fridge section rather than frozen as these are more prone to cracking.

Egg - for a pretty glazed finish.

Icing sugar - also sold as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar.

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Substitutions and Variations:

Use puff pastry - if your family are puff pastry mince pie people, use these instructions with a sheet of pre-rolled all butter puff pastry instead.

Add marzipan - again, this is up to preference but a cube of marzipan nestled in the mincemeat of each mince pie can be a real treat!

Plate of mince pies dusted with icing sugar.

Directions:

Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.

Pastry shapes being cut out of a pastry sheet.

ONE: Use a cookie cutter with a slightly larger diameter than the muffin holes on your tin and create 6 pastry circles.

Muffin tin lined with shortcrust pastry.

TWO: Carefully press into the muffin holes.

THREE: Spoon in the minced meat until it’s slightly lower than the edges.

FOUR: Cut out some pastry stars and place them on top. Brush with a little egg wash.

FIVE: Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180c until the pastry is golden.

SIX: Allow to cool slightly and dust with icing sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who long will these mince pies keep for?

In an air-tight tin or container, they're best eaten within three days.

Can I make these mince pies ahead and freeze them?

Yes - freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet before transferring them to a zip-lock bag and freezing them for up to a month. Defrost them at room temperature and you're good to go, but to make them taste like they've just come from the oven warm them up slightly and serve them with a good dollop of brandy cream!

Other recipes you might enjoy:

If you're looking for some more easy Christmas desserts, do try our Easy Chocolate Brownie Trifle, No Bake Tiramisu Cake with Panettone, Easy Christmas Wreath Pavlova, our Mincemeat Frangipane Tart (with ready made pastry!) or our indulgent Panettone, Orange and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding.

Made this recipe and loved it?

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