Recipe for delicious gluten free Mince Pies!

Ingredients:

• 320g Eurostar Gluten Free plain flour
• 160g chilled butter
• 3 dessert spoons icing or caster sugar
• 1 egg
• Cold water to mix
• Mincemeat for the filling

Method:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and then chop up the cold butter and add to the flour. Using the butter cold makes it easier to rub in. Rub the butter into the flour until it forms a breadcrumb like mix. Add in the sugar. The mix can feel quite ‘short’, where you can feel the butter initially, but adding in the sugar dries out the mix a little. Whisk the egg and slowly add to the mixture until it binds, using a spoon or your hand, making sure you don’t add too much and the mixture becomes sticky. Roll the mixture into a rough ball. If you need more liquid to combine the mixture, slowly add in a little cold water. Wrap or cover the pastry and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

2. Heat your oven to 170 fan and grease your pie tin.

3. Gluten free pastry does not handle in the same way as pastry made with wheat flour – it does not have the same suppleness and elasticity, as it is gluten which gives this to regular pastry. Roll the pastry out gently, using plenty of dusting flour as it sticks easily. Don’t try to roll it too thinly. 

4. Cut out your mince pie bases and put into the tin. Add in a teaspoon full or so of mincemeat, and top with a lid of whatever shape you prefer. You can brush with milk or egg to give the pastry a darker colour on top as it cooks if you wish.

5. Cook in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes – keep an eye out as the pastry can burn more easily. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.