1. Preheat & Prep

• Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).

• Grease a mini muffin tin or line with paper liners.

2. Make the Pastry

• In a large bowl, rub cold butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

• Stir in powdered sugar.

• Add egg and mix until dough starts to come together, adding cold water 1 tbsp at a time as needed.

• Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.

3. Roll & Cut

• Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness.

• Use a round cutter slightly larger than your muffin tin cavities to cut pastry circles.

• Gently press pastry circles into prepared muffin tin to form little cases.

4. Fill & Top

• Spoon about 1–2 tsp of mincemeat into each pastry case.

• Optional: cut smaller rounds or stars from remaining dough to cover pies, or leave open.

• Brush tops with beaten egg for a golden finish.

5. Bake

• Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp.

• Remove from oven and let cool slightly before removing from tin.

6. Serve

• Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

• Serve warm or at room temperature with tea, coffee, or mulled wine.