Giant mince pie recipe

Feed a crowd with this glorious giant mince pie - so easy to create but it looks like a work of art.

When we say giant, we meant it. This mince pie uses over a kilo of mincemeat but it makes enough for 16 portions, enough to cover even extended family feasts. It's certainly an epic version of our classic mince pies recipe (opens in new tab). Mince pies have been a Christmas staple for centuries, and this one is more traditional than you might first think. Originally the pies would be enough to serve a large group, though until relatively recently the pies actually contain ground, sweetened and spiced meat. Thankfully this is meat-free version - just a beautiful, fruity pudding.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp plain flour
• 2 x 320g packs ready rolled shortcrust (or sweet shortcrust) pastry
• 1.2kg mincemeat
• 1 egg, beaten
• Icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Grease a 26cm or 1.6l pie dish. Lightly dust the work surface with a little flour, set the two pastry sheets beside each lengthways other so they’re overlapping by 3cm. Roll over the join with a rolling pin to press together.
2. Cut a circle out of the pastry to line the dish and cover the rim with a little excess. Set it in the dish and press lightly to fit. Trim any excess of the sides, keeping the rim intact. Leave in the fridge for 30 mins.
3. Cut out 9 strips ½cm thick and 30cm long. Cut the rest into holly leaves using a cutter and roll some into balls to make holly berries, cut any scraps into 1cm wide strips, in case you need to replace the rim if it shrinks during baking. Make 3 plaits of 3 thin strips, and use the blunt side of a knife to decorate the holly leaves. Put on a tray and leave in the fridge for at least 20 mins.
4. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Line the pastry with tin foil, fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the foil and baking beans and cook for another 10 mins. Leave to cool.
5. Brush the rim with beaten egg, set the plaited pastry on top, trim and join neatly. Put the mincemeat in the pastry case, top with the pastry leaves and berries, brush with egg and chill for 1 hour. Bake for 40-50 mins. Dust wit icing sugar to serve.

Top tips for making this giant mince pie

When you're arranging the top of your pie, don't skimp on those decorations. It's lovely to have a little of the mincemeat looking glossy and delicious poking through, but for the most artistic finish use lots of leaves. Arrange them in twos and threes with little flattened groups of three berries on top.

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