1-Prepare ingredients and preheat oven: Creating Christmas Mince Pies is fun and rewarding, with steps that guide you from start to finish for the best results. Begin by getting all your ingredients ready, as this sets the stage for smooth baking. Preheating your oven to 190°C (375°F) ensures even cooking right from the beginning.

2-Mix and chill the pastry dough: First, prepare the pastry dough by rubbing 125 grams of cold unsalted butter into 250 grams of all-purpose flour, 50 grams of granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until it looks crumbly. Add about 50 milliliters of cold water to form the dough, then chill it for at least 30 minutes. This chilling step helps the dough roll out easily and keeps the pies flaky.

3-Combine and spoon in the filling: Next, mix the filling by combining the soaked currants and raisins with the diced green apple, candied citrus peel, orange juice, zests, spices, brown sugar, and grated butter. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and cut 12 rounds about 4 inches in diameter to line a greased muffin tin. Spoon the filling into each pastry case and cover with additional pastry shapes cut from the leftover dough.

4-Cover and brush the pies: Brush the tops with 1 beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar for a nice finish.

5-Bake and cool for serving: Bake the pies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until they turn golden brown. Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack, and serve warm with brandy butter for that traditional touch.