A true staple of the festive season, this mince pie recipe by Executive Chef Alex Nahke and his culinary team at The Europe Hotel & Resort in Kerry is sure to become a favourite.

The recipe includes two options – either a classic pastry case or a piped shortcrust topping.

Ingredients for the pastry cases:

• 250g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 25g Icing sugar
• 125g Chilled unsalted butter, diced
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 Medium egg, lightly beaten
• 1-3 Tsp ice-cold water (if needed)
• 1 Egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water (for egg wash)
• Icing sugar or caster sugar, for dusting

Method for the pastry cases:

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, icing sugar, butter, and orange zest, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. With the motor running, add the egg and pulse briefly until the dough begins to clump and can be pressed into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add 1-3 tsp of ice-cold water to bring it together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm. The pastry can be made up to 3 days in advance or frozen for up to a month.
3. Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 4mm. Using an 8cm fluted cutter, cut out 24 rounds and use them to line two 12-hole non-stick mince pie tins.

Optional:

Option 1: Re-roll the pastry trimmings to the same thickness and cut out 24 stars or Christmas tree shapes using a cutter for the pie tops.

Option 2: Shortcrust topping

Ingredients for Shortcrust topping: 

• 250g unsalted butter
• 110g caster sugar
• 360g plain flour
• 4g salt
• 2g vanilla extract

Method for Shortcrust topping: 

1. Whip the soft butter with caster sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour and salt, then continue whipping until you have a soft dough. Pipe onto the filled tartlets and bake with the filling for 20-25 minutes at 160°C.
2. Place a dessert spoon (about 2 tsp) of the filling into each pastry case, then press the tops into position. Chill for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4).
3. Brush the tops with the egg wash, then bake the mince pies for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from the tins and transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Warm slightly before serving and dust with sugar.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 450g Plums, halved and stoned
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 30ml Water (not needed if using frozen plums)
• 2 Large cooking apples, peeled and grated
• 35g Currants
• 35g Raisins
• 35g Sultanas
• 35g Mixed peel
• 35g Nibbed almonds
• 120g Sugar
• 1.5g Ground ginger
• 1.5g Ground cinnamon
• 1.5g Ground cloves
• A good dash of brandy (optional)

Method for the filling:

1. Cook the plums with the lemon zest and juice, and water until tender and thickened.
2. Blend the mixture until smooth.
3. Add the grated apples to the plum mixture.
4. Stir in all the remaining ingredients, including the lemon zest and brandy (if using).
5. Allow the filling to cool before using it to fill the tartlets.