Official Santa Letters - Mince Pie Recipe

Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour and then mix in the sugar.
Then make this pastry into a ball and knead it briefly. The dough should be fairly firm. You can use the dough immediately.
Line two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing a small ball of pastry into each hole. (or if you have a cutting tool, roll just over half the pastry flat with a rolling pin 3 to 4 mm thick and cut out your base shapes and press them gently into you tins)
Fill your pie bases with the mincemeat.
to make the lids, Take slightly smaller balls of pastry and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. or if you have a cutting tool roll the remaining pastry flat and cut out your lids.
Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal.
Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in their tins for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. The Mince Pies will keep for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container.