Mincemeat Tart to Feed a Crowd
Ingredients
- 114g cold butter or margarine – chopped into small chunks
- 57g lard, cut into chunks
- 227g Self Raising Flour
- 114g Plain flour sifted together
- Pinch salt
- 3-4 tbsp very cold water
- 1 jar of mincemeat of your choice (approx 400g)
- (2 tbsp brandy or Cointreau or Grand Marnier if desired)
You will also need:
Greased, baking tin (20cm round tin)
To make the pastry, add the sifted flour, salt, butter and lard into a large bowl. Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add water a little at a time until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough – I prefer to do this with my hands to prevent the dough becoming too wet. Lift out and form into a ball. Place in a polythene bag and place in the fridge for 30 mins.
Turn oven on to 200C/180Fan/gas 6.
After the dough has rested, lightly dust your worktop and gently knead the pastry. Cut approximately one-third of the pastry dough to use for the lattice top and roll out the remaining two thirds into a round to fit your baking tin.
Once you have lined your tin with pastry, add the jar of mincemeat (if you are using alcohol, mix this into the mincemeat before topping the pastry base.) Spread out the mixture evenly.
Roll out the remaining pastry into an oblong and cut into strips. Carefully place the strips across the mincemeat top to make a lattice. Brush with a little beaten egg and place in the oven. Cook for approx 20 minutes by which time the pastry should be golden.
Dust with a sprinkling of icing sugar.
Enjoy hot or cold with custard, cream or brandy butter
Pauline Mardell
