Unbelievably easy mince pies

Ingredients

225g cold butter, diced

350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar

280g mincemeat
1 small egg

icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.
3. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
4. Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2002

Notes: Use the magimix to combine the butter and flour to breadcrumbs, then add either some of the beaten egg or a bit of water and once it comes together finish kneading it by hand.  It can then be rolled out and cut as normal. Takes minutes to make, the pastry is like shortbread and is delicious (especially with homemade mincemeat).

This is the best thing you will put in your mouth for a very long time....

Lindsay's Chocolate Fudge

1lb (450g) granulated sugar

5oz dark chocolate

5oz butter

2oz honey

1/4 pt milk 

All into large, pref heavy-based pan, heat slowly, stirring til sugar dissolved then to boil without stirring to soft ball stage*. Put pan on cold surface for 5 mins then beat (elec. mixer) until thickening. Into tray, into fridge once cooled. Eat + enjoy!

* glass v.cold water - drop a tsp in. Once it forms droplets take out + see if you can roll into a ball

My notes: Smallest ring on the hob, low flame. You can tell the sugar is dissolved when you don't hear the gritty noises as you're stirring. Cold surface = outside my back door in the winter (make sure the lid is on and the dog is inside) or in the sink with cold water in the bottom in summer. It will do nothing for ages and then will suddenly thicken - don't overmix it. If it hasn't been boiled properly and just refuses to thicken, I have put it back on the heat and boiled it a bit longer, then cooled it again - didn't make any difference to the finished fudge. Tray - LINE IT! Either greaseproof/baking paper or clingfilm - makes getting it out and cutting it up soooo much easier.

And then thanks to Carnation - we can also have fudge-flavour fudge! 

http://www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/67/ultimate-fudge

1 tin / 397g condensed milk

1/4pt / 150ml milk

450g / 1lb sugar (Carnation actually state demerara but I just used granulated)

115g / 4oz butter

Then follow the above method. I imagine you could add a teaspoon of vanilla extract as well, but I forgot, and seeing as I could eat condensed milk out of the tin with a spoon, the omission did not detract at all. 

This makes a good proper batch, ideal for presents at Christmas and for school.