Ingredients: (makes about 17)  
280g/10oz plain flour
140g/5oz caster sugar
115g/4oz butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar micemeat (or see Tip below for an instant mincemeat)

Method:
1. Put flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and whizz for a few seconds. Then while it’s still running, slowly pour in the egg. Turn out onto a worktop and press together to make a dough. Wrap the ball of dough in a cling film and let it rest in a fridge for a while.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C and lightly grease a 12-hole bun tin.
3. Roll out the dough and cut out circles with a cookie cutter, glass or a mug, press into the bun tin. Fill with mincemeat and cover with either smaller circles of dough or different shapes (like a star, heart etc – depending on what type of cutters you have). Press together to seal and bake for 12-15 mins.

Tip: If, like me, you run out of mincemeat during baking these delicious mince pies, you can quickly make your own “instant” version: Finely chop an apple and put into a bowl with handful of raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries (or any other suitable dried fruit you have) plus flaked almonds (crush them in your hand first). Sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves or any other Christmas spices. Add a spoonful of orange marmelade, some brown sugar and honey and mix everything together – be quite rough, press it with the back of the spoon while stirring, so that all the juices and spices mix. Taste if it’s sweet/spicy enough and fill your pastry straight away.