Traditional fruit mince pie recipe

How to make a traditional fruit mince pie

• Resting: When making pastry, it's important to rest it so that the moisture evens out and the gluten has time to relax. Wrap pastry in baking paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or as per recipe instructions). Resting helps to minimise any shrinking of the pastry from while baking.
• Working the pastry: Only sprinkle a small amount of flour on your work surface. Too much and you run the risk of drying the pastry dough out. You can always use baking paper when rolling and avoid using flour altogether.
• Temperature: When working with pastry that's been resting in the fridge, always allow time for it to come to room temperature. Factor in around 30 minutes as this will make it easier to work with. That said, your kitchen, bench top and hands should all be cool so that the pastry doesn't become too soft when rolling and shaping.
• Blind baking: Recipes often call for blind baking because pastry can take a little longer to cook than fillings. To blind bake, simply prick the base of the prepared pastry a few times with a fork, then line with baking paper, top with pastry weights and place in the oven to cook as per recipe instructions. You can use dried pulses or rice if you don't have pastry weights.
• Fillings: Make sure your fillings are either chilled or at room temperature before adding to prepared pastry bases. Warm ingredients can cause the pastry fat to melt and result in soggy pastry. 
• Pie topping: When covering your pie with pastry, always make sure to cut into strips or circles larger than you need so that you can be sure the pastry will reach the edge of the pie. Simply remove excess once assembled.