Name: Clementine mince pies
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Makes 12
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 500g mincemeat; 4 clementines zested and 2 juiced; 3 tbsp Cointreau; 300g plain flour plus more for dusting; 175g unsalted butter cold and cubed; 1 egg yolk; 2 tbsp icing sugar plus more to serve

A plate of star-topped mince pies with candles and fairy lights in the background

500g mincemeat
4 clementines
zested and 2 juiced
3 tbsp Cointreau

PASTRY

300g plain flour
plus more for dusting
175g unsalted butter
cold and cubed
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp icing sugar
plus more to serve

Method

step 1
To make the pastry, pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until a breadcrumb texture forms. Add the egg yolk and sugar, then pulse again until the mixture begins to clump and a dough forms. If it’s not clumping, add ice-cold water, 1 tsp at a time, and pulse again, until a dough forms. Cut away a third of the dough, then wrap both pieces and chill for 30 minutes.
step 2
In a large bowl, combine the mincemeat, clementine zest and juice, and Cointreau.
step 3
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Divide the larger piece of pastry into 12 pieces, form into balls, then roll each one into a thin circle on a lightly floured worksurface. Use these pastry circles to line a regular 12-hole cupcake tin. Spoon the mincemeat equally between each case.
step 4
Roll the smaller piece of dough out on a lightly floured worksurface, then use a small star cutter to cut shapes out of the pastry. Use them to top each mince pie.
step 5
Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Remove from the tin, cool on wire racks, then dust with icing sugar to serve.