Yet more mincepies.

I have been baking mincepies again today. Actually, this is a photo of last time's efforts but today's look the same. I think we all have our own recipe but this is how I make them.
7ozs plain flour
1 3/4oz icing sugar
4 1/2oz unsalted butter cut into small cubes (must be very cold)
pinch of salt
2 duck egg yolks

First I put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and added the icing sugar and the butter. Then I sat and watched some of a Christmas film while I rubbed the butter into the flour with my fingertips. I then added the egg yolks and started to mix them into the flour/butter mix with a wooden spoon. I do it this way as my hands just get covered with the stuff. After a few moments the stuff comes together and I can get my hands in to form the pastry into a flat round. I lay a piece of clingfilm (large enough to wrap round the pastry) onto my worksurface and place the pastry into the middle of it and wrap the clingfilm round it. The pastry then goes into the fridge for two hours. Near the end of that time I get out my bun tray and grease it well with the wrapper from the butter, it has just enough butter to do the job. I turn on the oven to 170 (I have a fan oven). I get out a couple of little pots, one has some cold water in it and one has a beaten egg. I get my mincemeat and some sugar ready and my rolling pin and two pastry cutters. Then I get the cold pastry out of the fridge and roll it out (not too thinly) on a lightly floured worksurface. I use the larger of the two cutters and cut 12 'rounds'...these are place into the greased bun tray. I then cut 12 of the smaller 'rounds' and put these to one side. I use a teaspoon to place the mincemeat into the little pastry cases and dip my finger into the water and moisten the edges of the pastry cases, this helps the lids to stick. The I place the little lids onto the waiting pastry cases and press lightly to seal. I put an eggwash onto the lids and sprinkle a little sugar over them. Then they go into the oven for 15 minutes. When they are ready I take them out of the oven and leave them in the bun tray for a while before getting them out using a teaspoon and placing them onto a rack to cool. They are so yummy eaten warm but they do freeze really well.
There are so many ways to make these but this works for us....and I think I can hear Colin doing a spot of quality control in the kitchen! Hummmm....