Mince pies

For the mincemeat;

Ingredients:

• 500g pears (cored and cut into small cubes)

• 500g dried mixed fruit

• 100g stem ginger

• 100g crab apple jelly

• 250g muscovado sugar

• Zest and juice of 3 oranges

• Zest and juice of 2 lemons

• 100g flaked almonds

• 50ml ginger wine

• 2 tsp Ground ginger

• 2 tsp Cinnamon

• 1 tsp Nutmeg

• 50ml sloe gin

Method:

Mix all the ingredients well, except the gin, and put them into a large oven proof dish.

Bake in a preheated oven for around 2.5 hours at 120 degrees.

Stir in the gin and spoon into warm, sterile jars. Leave to mature for at least 2 months before using. Will keep for a couple of years.

For the pies;

Ingredients:

• 300g plain flour (sifted)

• 150g unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

• Water

• Mince meat

• Milk

Method:

Add the butter to the flour and rub it between your fingers and into the flour. Keep rubbing until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.

Add a small drop of water and mix together. Keep adding a little water at a time, until the mixture comes together to form a stiff dough amd leaves the bowl mostly clean.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out as thin as possible - 1 or 2 mm is best. Cut rounds for the bases using a pastry cutter and place into cupcake cases.

Fill the base with mince meat and top with either smaller cut rounds or stars. Where the pastry top and base meets, use a little milk to seal the edges.

Brush with a little milk and cook in the centre of a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes, until golden in colour.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour (sifted)

• 75g unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

• Water

• 300g pumpkin

• 90g dark brown sugar

• 1/4 can coconut cream

• 1 egg (whisked)

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp mixed spice

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• Pinch of white pepper

• 1/2 tbsp cornflour

To serve;

Icing sugar

Method:

Add the butter to the flour and rub it between your fingers and into the flour. Keep rubbing until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.

Add a small drop of water and mix together. Keep adding a little water at a time, until the mixture comes together to form a stiff dough and leaves the bowl mostly clean.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out as thin as possible - 1 or 2 mm is best. Grease a tart tin and use the pastry to line the tin.

Blind bake (line the tin with greaseproof paper and baking beans) for 10 minutes at 180 degrees, remove the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes at 160 degrees.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5- 10 minutes, while you prepare the filling.

Peel, de-seed and dice the pumpkin. Add it to a pan, cover with water and boil until soft (approx 10-15 minutes). Drain and mash.

Whisk in the rest of the ingredients.

Pour the pumpkin filling into your precooked pastry base and cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Leave to cool, and serve dusted with a little icing sugar.