Crumble-Topped Mince Pies

These mince pies are different to the normal ones you buy in supermarkets; the top is made from a delicious, nutty crumble. Although, it may sound like too much, they taste amazing and are not as sweet and filing as regular mince pies. You could make them with friends or bring them to a family gathering. The next Christmas food i am going to make is cranberry sauce.

You Will Need (makes 24):
Frozen short pastry
A big ol' jar of mincemeat
60g Butter
Pinch of Nutmeg
Half a Teaspoon of Cinnamon
35g Soft Brown Sugar
60g Plain Flour
60g Ground Almonds
35g Walnut Pieces

To Make the Pies:
Firstly, cover your entire surface in flour and dust your rolling pin. Then grease your muffin cases with butter. Remember to touch the pastry as little as possible; especially if you have warm hands. It will be less crumbly and melt-in-your-mouthy if you have handled it too much. Take your rolling pin and start rolling. It should be as thin as you can make it before it breaks (about 3mm). I used a cookie cutter that had scalloped edges to cut out the bottom of the pies. The scalloped edges made them look 'merrily-festive' (is that a thing? Can i say that?) Finally, take two spoons and put a small amount of mince in each pie.

To Make the Crumble:
Mix the Butter and sugar together. First, i used my hands to break up the big pieces of butter, then i used a fork to mash the sugar in and make the butter soft. After than, i crushed the nuts into smaller pieces and mixed the other ingredients to the butter and sugar. You then sprinkle the crumble over the mince pies and put them in the oven for 15mins at 180 fan oven.

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