Orange, cranberry & almond mince pies
Stirring zingy cranberries into bought mincemeat and making your own simple almond pastry really brings these mince pies to life
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll one of the pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface, and spoon on teaspoonfuls of mincemeat, spaced about 2.5cm apart. Brush round the mincemeat with a little egg. Unroll the second sheet of pastry, keeping it on its wrapper, then roll out just a touch bigger. Using the wrapper to help you, flip onto the mincemeat-dotted sheet.
Press and shape the pastry around each dollop of mincemeat, squeezing out as much air as you can. Slice up the sheet into individual parcels using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Prick each with a fork, then seal the edges around each one by pressing with a fork. Lift onto baking trays, brush with a little more beaten egg and bake for 18-20 mins until golden and crisp.
While the pies are baking, mix sugar and cinnamon on a plate. When done lift the pies, a few at a time, carefully into the sugar and gently turn to coat.