Mince Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

None None FOR THE MINCEMEAT
1 None apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/4 cup finely chopped, 1/4 cup left whole
1/3 cup mixed candied citrus peel
2 tbsp glace cherries, chopped
1/4 cup currants
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds, chopped
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice, such as pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp brandy
None None FOR THE PIES
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp ground almonds
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus additional, for dusting
1 None egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
1 None egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

Make mincemeat 3 days ahead. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Transfer mixture to sterilized jar. Store in refrigerator for at least 3 days before using.
Sift flour into a large bowl and stir in almonds; rub in butter. Stir in lemon peel and sifted powdered sugar. Stir in egg yolk and enough milk to make ingredients cling together. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F. Grease two 12-cup muffin pans. Roll pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Using 3-inch round cutter, cut out 24 rounds. Press into muffin cups. Divide mincemeat among cups.
Roll pastry scraps on floured surface. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Using a 1-inch star cutter, cut out stars from center of rounds. (Or cut out desired shapes.) Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place, egg-side down, on mincemeat.
Bake for 20 mins, or until lightly browned. Cool in pans 5 mins. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack. Dust with a little sifted powdered sugar.