Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 Sheet Ready Rolled/ 500g Block Ready Made Puff Pastry
• 1 400g Jar Mincemeat
• 1 Egg (Beaten)
• 1 TBSP Icing Sugar

Preparation Time – 5 Mins

Cooking Time – 20 Mins

Every year in the week before Christmas I generally spend the majority of time in the kitchen, I love to cook but I REALLY love to bake so I especially look forward to Christmastime because I get to try out all of my new recipes I have been collecting and thinking up all year. These recipes once baked generally do not last long between family and colleagues as I also take some into work. The thing that makes Christmas food so special is just that….. it’s Christmas food which means it is food that is only made at one time of year, which means it can be looked forward to. There are certain foods and ingredients that you associate with Christmas like mince pies, gingerbread, peppermint, cinnamon etc. things that if you made all year round would lose their “Christmas magic” and just become normal, boring, everyday foods.

Even though I spend a lot of time in the kitchen the week before Christmas it is still such a busy week with so much that still needs to be done. No matter how ready I think I am there is always last minute things that need doing in the couple of days beforehand, Last minute Christmas presents to buy, doing the Christmas food shopping, taking food to the homeless shelter and wrapping and delivering presents, knowing all this I prepared much better for this year and took the 3 days before Christmas off work (I usually work right up to Christmas eve). Yesterday I finished the rest of my shopping and wrapped some presents, today delivered food to the homeless shelter and wrapped the remainder of the gifts and tomorrow will be delivering gifts, Christmas eve mass and spending time with my family (I also have not had to really do a Christmas dinner shop as I am going to my mum’s for Christmas).

Now back to baking, when you think of Christmas food and you are English one of the first things you probably think of is mince pies, it’s not really Christmas without them. Mince pies are also one of those things that I love to make but do not eat, I just really do not like mincemeat (or Christmas pudding, or Christmas cake) I’m not really sure why I think it’s possibly the brandy type taste, but I just love to make them, I love making shortcrust pastry and I love the smell of them baking. This year though I had so many different recipes to try I decided to try something a little different this year and make mince swirls with puff pastry. These are so quick and easy so would be great to make with kids as they only have 4 ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your pastry.

Spread the mincemeat over the pastry.

Brush one of the short ends with egg.

Starting at the short end you did not brush with egg, start to roll the pastry inwards as tight as you can without the filling spilling out. Cut off each end to neaten up and refrigerate for 30mins.

Cut the roll into slices about an inch thick. Place onto a greased and lined baking tray.

Brush with egg and bake for around 20mins or until golden. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cooled dust with icing sugar and serve. These will keep in an air tight box for up to a week.

Festive Mince swirls

• Servings: 12
• Prep Time: 10mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
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Ingredients

-1 Sheet Ready Rolled/ 500g Block Ready Made Puff Pastry

-1 400g Jar Mincemeat

-1 Egg (Beaten)

-1 TBSP Icing Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your pastry.

2. Spread the mincemeat over the pastry.

3. Brush one of the short ends with egg.

4. Starting at the short end you did not brush with egg, start to roll the pastry inwards as tight as you can without the filling spilling out. Cut off each end to neaten up and refrigerate for 30mins.

5. Once refrigerated, cut the roll into slices about an inch thick. Place onto a greased and lined baking tray.

6. Brush with egg and bake for around 20mins or until golden. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cooled dust with icing sugar and serve. These will keep in an air tight box for up to a week.