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Last night I made our first batch of Christmas Mince pies for the season. The sixteen yr old mumbled through a mouthful of pastry – how can anyone not like these? It’s like all of Christmas in a pie!

Our teenagers aren’t particularly profound, but I think my girl was onto something because like the pies Christmas itself can be, sweet, rich, intense, fragile, easily spoilt, loved by some, dreaded by others, homemade or store bought, traditional or trendy, warm or cold…

If you love mince pies. Here’s how much your festive treats will cost:

Store bought from a local supermarket:
Ernst Adams $3.69 for 6
Or $0.62 eachHomemade using store bought ingredients:
house brand pastry and readymade fruit mince (makes 12)
$3.64 or $0.30 each

Homemade using store bought mince and Sophie’s pastry:
Using store bought fruit mince and homemade pastry (makes 14)
$3.52 or $0.25 each

We’ve compared all 3 options and the homemade pastry version, while not much cheaper due to the cost of butter, definitely tastes the best. If you made your own fruit mince back in winter then yours will be even cheaper and even more delicious.

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I asked the young-uns a couple of weeks ago what was the one most important part of Christmas for them? I scared them rigid; they thought I was leading up to some awful announcement.

Both were able to answer me without hesitation though, and it wasn’t the presents, it never has been. In fact in all the years people have been writing to us sharing their Christmas stories with us, when it comes to what is important it’s never been the presents.

If money is in short supply (or even if it’s not) and energy at a low ebb, concentrate on the really important things and let the rest go.
Wrapping? - nice but not important, cards?- nice but not important, cleaning – Pah!

They won’t remember what we bought them or how late we stayed up wrapping or how much we spent – they’ll only remember the way we made them feel.

Peace be with you this Christmas

Makes around 14 regular size with stars on top, or more if you do some as mini’s. Pastry needs cold butter, cold water and a cold rest in the fridge.
Handling or kneading the pastry will make it greasy and tough, so be gentle and you’ll have "melt in the mouth" short pastry for your mince pies.
FYI I always make a double batch, but we are very greedy.

For the pastry
1 heaped cup of plain flour
Pinch of salt
100 g butter
1 dsp sugar (for sweet pastry)
1 egg yolk
Splash of cold water

For the filling
¾ tub of fruit mince- approx I big cup full

Icing sugar to dust

Put flour, salt and butter into food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form or rub butter into flour with your finger tips.
Add sugar, egg yolk, and water and pulse or mix with the blade of a knife until just combined. If the pastry is over worked it will be tough, if it is crumbly add more water.
Wrap the pastry in paper or cling film and rest it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour before rolling out.
Pre heat the oven to 190°
Use a cutter or glass to cut pastry discs to fit your pans.
Grease the pans then line with the pastry discs. Spoon a teaspoon of fruit mince mixture into each one – don’t overfill or they’ll spill over and stick to the pans.
Top with a star or other pastry shape.
Bake for around 15 minutes until pale golden. Remove from pans while still warm and place on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container and serve warm or cold. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

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This is an easy inexpensive gift idea. A small tea cup is ideal – you can use a pretty vintage one or a contemporary new one. If making as a gift place the measured dry ingredients either in the cup or in a cellophane bag inside the cup, include a label with the cooking instructions.

A microwave safe tea cup
Cooking spray

2 tbsp flour
1 ½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon oil

Spray your cup with cooking spray, just enough to coat the cup.
In the cup mix together all your ingredients and stir well.
Put the cup in the microwave and cook it on full power for 60 seconds. Depending on the power of your microwave you may have to cook the cake longer using 15 second bursts. second intervals .
The cake should be light and fluffy.
To serve – either eat as is, from the cup or run a knife gently around the cake and turn it out of the cup onto a plate.

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