With Christmas little over a month away my mind has turned to festive baking. This Luxury Giant Mince Pie is a fabulous festive dessert that can be served warm with cream, ice crem or brandy butter. Or, you could just enjoy a slice cold as a cheeky treat. Follow my recipe below to create your own Luxury Giant Mince Pie.
Luxury Giant Mince Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry:
150g caster sugar
150g plain flour
150g ground almonds
150g cold butter, cubed
half teaspoon almond extract
1 egg, beaten
For the filling:
1 jar of mincemeat (400-500g)
100g chopped glacé cherries
25g flaked almonds
150g marzipan, cubed
half teaspoon almond extract
milk for glazing
Method:
In a food processor mix together the flour, sugar, ground almonds and butter until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Next add in the beaten egg and almond extract and mix until the pastry starts to ball.
Remove the pastry from the food processor and form a ball by hand. Flatten the ball slightly and wrap in cling film. Then place the 
pastry ball in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
This is a very soft, moist type of pastry.
Whilst the pastry is cooling down make the filling.
Add all the ingredients for the filling except the milk into a large bowl and thoroughly mix together.
At this stage you can change some of the ingredients around if you wish. You could swap the flaked almonds for chopped pecans or 
walnuts. Alternatively you can swap the marzipan for chopped mixed peel. So long as you keep the quantities the same you should not hit any problems.
Pre heat the oven to 160c fan and have a 25cm loose bottomed flan tin ready for the mince pie to cook in. Whilst the oven is preheating put a flat metal baking tray on the oven shelf to heat up. You will place you pie on here to cook and the extra heat helps the pastry crisp up.
Building the pie:
After 30 minutes cut one third off the pastry ball and pop it back into the fridge.
Generously flour a flat surface and rolling pin and roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use this pastry to line your tin. Gently use your fingers to push the pastry into the fluted edge of the flan tin.
Next pour in the filling mixture and smooth it over with the back of a spoon.
Roll out the remaining pastry to a similar thickness but in a rectangular shape 
measuring at least 25cm long. Cut this pastry lengthways into 8 equally strips 0.5 – 1cm width. These pastry strips form the lattice top for the pie. Place the first one across the centre of the pie and then the next one at 90 degrees to it. After that, slowly add all the strips weaving them over and under as you go along. It is easier than it sounds.
Once you have finished the lattice top, trim the edges and brush the pastry 
over lightly with milk.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, you will see the pastry turn a golden brown.
Once cooked remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes or so.
Finally dust the top with icing sugar and serve warm with cream, brandy butter or ice cream.
