Delia Smith Mince Pies Recipe

These traditional Delia Smith Mince Pies are a festive British favourite, made with crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry and a rich, spiced mincemeat filling. The pastry bakes to a light golden colour while the filling becomes warm, fragrant, and perfectly sweet. Although they look impressive, the recipe is straightforward and suitable for home bakers of all levels. From start to finish, the pies take around an hour to prepare and bake.

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 225g plain flour
• 100g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 25g icing sugar
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 2–3 tbsp cold water
• Butter, for greasing the tin

For the Filling

• 300g good-quality mincemeat
• 1 small eating apple, peeled and finely chopped
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp brandy (optional)

For the Topping

• Milk or beaten egg, for glazing
• Icing sugar, for dusting

How to Make Delia Smith Mince Pies Recipe

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the pies bake evenly and the pastry turns golden.
• Make the pastry: Place the flour and butter in a mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add sweetness: Stir in the icing sugar, then mix in the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring the mixture together into a soft dough.
• Chill the dough: Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This helps the pastry stay crisp during baking.
• Prepare the filling: In a bowl, mix the mincemeat with the chopped apple, orange zest, orange juice and brandy if using. Stir well to combine.
• Roll the pastry: Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry to about 3mm thickness.
• Line the tin: Cut circles large enough to fit a 12-hole mince pie tin. Press the pastry gently into each hole.
• Add the filling: Spoon a small amount of the mincemeat mixture into each pastry case, filling them almost to the top.
• Add pastry tops: Cut smaller circles or festive shapes from the remaining pastry and place them on top of the pies.
• Glaze and bake: Brush the tops lightly with milk or beaten egg. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
• Cool and finish: Allow the pies to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.

Tips

Why is my pastry tough?

This usually happens if the dough is overworked. Handle the pastry lightly and chill it before rolling to keep it tender and crisp.

How do I stop the pies from sticking?

Grease the mince pie tin lightly with butter and allow the pies to cool for a few minutes before removing them.

Can I use shop-bought pastry?

Yes, ready-made shortcrust pastry works well if you want to save time. Simply roll it out and follow the same steps for shaping and baking.

How full should the pies be?

Fill each case almost to the top, but avoid overfilling as the mincemeat expands slightly during baking.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with a light dusting of icing sugar
• Enjoy with a spoonful of brandy butter
• Pair with whipped cream or custard
• Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee

Storage

Room Temperature

Store mince pies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat briefly in the oven before serving if desired.

Refrigerator

They can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm gently before serving to restore the pastry’s crisp texture.

Freezing

Mince pies freeze well for up to 3 months. Cool completely before freezing in a sealed container. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Nutrition

• Calories: 250 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Sodium: 90mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients used.

FAQs

Delia Smith Mince Pies Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Classic Delia Smith mince pies with buttery shortcrust pastry and a rich spiced mincemeat filling. A traditional British Christmas treat.

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour

• 100g cold unsalted butter, diced

• 25g icing sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 2–3 tbsp cold water

• 300g mincemeat

• 1 small apple, finely chopped

• Zest of 1 orange

• 1 tbsp orange juice

• 1 tbsp brandy (optional)

• Milk or egg for glazing

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan) and grease a 12-hole mince pie tin.
• Rub butter into flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in icing sugar, egg yolk and enough cold water to form a soft dough.
• Chill the pastry for 20 minutes.
• Mix mincemeat with chopped apple, orange zest, orange juice and brandy.
• Roll pastry to 3mm thick and cut circles to line the tin.
• Fill cases with mincemeat mixture.
• Cut smaller pastry tops and place over the pies.
• Brush with milk or egg and bake 15–20 minutes until golden.

Notes

• Chill pastry to prevent shrinking.
• Use good quality mincemeat for best flavour.
• Dust with icing sugar before serving.