So this great idea began on a visit home to see my mom and finding my old cupcake recipe book, 1 Mix 100 Muffins. I've always loved baking especially if I'm stressed or bored, much to the aforementioned mother's annoyance as her kitchen becomes a bit of a disaster zone of mixing bowls, spilt flour and the odd dropped egg. However since I moved to go to university in Bournemouth, it's no longer her kitchen that is home to the carnage but my own. Well mine and my other house mates. They have now figured out that whilst my creations are yummy, it comes at a price. Leave me in your kitchen at your own peril.
My current friends and house mates (or hostages, whichever you prefer) are three archaeologists and a mental health nurse. I lived with The Nurse last year, so he now tries to stop me from baking as it means he has to work harder at the gym. As someone who gave up on the whole gym thing not long after starting, I haven't quite found the balance of me + cake = expansion. I tried running but it's not like I actually run. More like I put one foot in front of the other and flap my arms hoping it will propel me forwards. Maybe I should stick to the bike...
As it is the Christmas season, I thought I would relive my childhood by making my own mince pies as a present for some family friends. It's something I looked forward to every year. Standing in my Nan's kitchen getting covered flour and pastry dough. I'm surprised she kept letting me back in really. While my Granddad read his paper in the living room, we would make mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake. It didn't matter that as a child I would refuse to eat such things because they had "Yucky raisins and stuff". I made them for the fun of it.
However, after an experiment at the Archaeology Society Christmas party last year it turns out I at least like mince pies. Loraine Pascale was on James Martin's Saturday Morning Kitchen with her star shaped mince pies. What else could be more perfect to get everyone at work in the festive spirit?
Makes 12
Ingredients
500g Puff pastry pack (all butter puff pastry if possible)
9 tbsp Mincemeat
1tbsp Port (Sloe Gin works well too as I found out)
Vanilla extract
Orange zest
Icing sugar
Beaten egg
2tbsp Maple syrup (warmed)
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F Gas Mark 6, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper (which I forgot to use but they came off the tray fine). Roll out the puff pastry on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar or flour and trim the edges to make a large square.I cut the pastry into smaller 3 inch squares to make 12 bitesize mine pies. Mix the mincemeat with the port/sloe gin, add two drops of vanilla extract and a pinch of orange zest. Drop around half a tablespoon of the mincemeat mixture in the centre of each puff pastry square.
My current friends and house mates (or hostages, whichever you prefer) are three archaeologists and a mental health nurse. I lived with The Nurse last year, so he now tries to stop me from baking as it means he has to work harder at the gym. As someone who gave up on the whole gym thing not long after starting, I haven't quite found the balance of me + cake = expansion. I tried running but it's not like I actually run. More like I put one foot in front of the other and flap my arms hoping it will propel me forwards. Maybe I should stick to the bike...
As it is the Christmas season, I thought I would relive my childhood by making my own mince pies as a present for some family friends. It's something I looked forward to every year. Standing in my Nan's kitchen getting covered flour and pastry dough. I'm surprised she kept letting me back in really. While my Granddad read his paper in the living room, we would make mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake. It didn't matter that as a child I would refuse to eat such things because they had "Yucky raisins and stuff". I made them for the fun of it.
However, after an experiment at the Archaeology Society Christmas party last year it turns out I at least like mince pies. Loraine Pascale was on James Martin's Saturday Morning Kitchen with her star shaped mince pies. What else could be more perfect to get everyone at work in the festive spirit?
Makes 12
Ingredients
500g Puff pastry pack (all butter puff pastry if possible)
9 tbsp Mincemeat
1tbsp Port (Sloe Gin works well too as I found out)
Vanilla extract
Orange zest
Icing sugar
Beaten egg
2tbsp Maple syrup (warmed)
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F Gas Mark 6, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper (which I forgot to use but they came off the tray fine). Roll out the puff pastry on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar or flour and trim the edges to make a large square.I cut the pastry into smaller 3 inch squares to make 12 bitesize mine pies. Mix the mincemeat with the port/sloe gin, add two drops of vanilla extract and a pinch of orange zest. Drop around half a tablespoon of the mincemeat mixture in the centre of each puff pastry square.
The difficult part was then moving the stars from the board to the baking tray. Carefully lift the pies onto the tray and using the beaten egg, 'glue' alternative points together. They have a tendency to slide away from each other but if you cut out little stars and use the egg to stick them over the join, it keeps them from sliding apart. I couldn't find a little star cutter but I'm sure they're out there somewhere.
Brush the beaten egg all over the exposed pastry surfaces. This will give the stars a nice golden colour. They are now ready to go into the oven for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool a little on the tray to allow easier lift off, then let them cool completely on a wire rack. If they are a festive snack for yourself and the family, consider your mince pie stars finished and ready to eat.
Mine were destined to be a Christmas gift for a couple of family friends so with a little help from my wonderfully creative mother...
...here is the finished product. We placed tissue paper in the box, enough to spill over the sides. On top of that went a square of foil to protect the tissue from the pies. A pretty bow for the box lid give the gift a lovely finishing touch.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
