These are lighter alternatives to traditional mince pies. They are not too rich or sweet and can thus make an appearance prior to the meal, rather than only at pudding time.
You might think I am a scrooge to suggest you dole out just 22 - 26 for 10 people, but truth is these are so addictive, make more and your guests will have rankling bloats before the feast begins.
Ingredients
2 x 20cm squares rolled-out puff pastry
8 - 9 teaspoons mincemeat
50g butter, melted mixed with 1 tablespoon whisky
Squares of store-bought pastry are often separated by sheets of waxy paper. Keep these for they make rolling a dream. Station a square of pastry on a work surface in front of you, its hind covered with this waxy paper.
With a paring knife, lightly mark the 3 vertical lines dividing the square of pastry into 4 equal rectangles. Dollop a teaspoon of mincemeat on each of the two lines nearest to the boundaries. Pinch these dollops along the lines to produce parallel straight queues.
Lifting the waxy paper up, fold one side over the mincemeat queue to meet the central demarcation, or X.. Do the same with the opposite side. It's like closing doors. Observing the pastry before you, it should feel like you're back at square one, just with a rectangle this time.
Once more, demarcate two parallel lines on each flap, equidistant from the central line. Dollop the mincemeat and shape them as above. Once again fold each flap over to the central line and press them gently together. The cross-section of this roll should now resemble a boxy heart shape. Swathe with the waxy paper and freeze till you need them. Attend to the other square of pastry similarly.
Preheat the oven to 220 C. The turkey should be out of the oven by now. Slice the logs at 1cm intervals while they are still hard. Arrange them on a greased baking tray and paint with melted butter. Bake for 15 ? 18 minutes, by which time they will be bouffant, golden and simply irresistible.
Makes 22 - 26.
Variation
I have produced savoury versions using anchovies, first lavishing the pastry's face with Dijon mustard and lining anchovy fillets up where the mincemeat would be. You should need 6 per pastry. After it gets a sheen of melted butter, shower over curls of Comte cheese. You could use parmesan if you like. Bake as stipulated.
