Quick Puff Pastry Mince Pies with Advocaat Butter

Instructions

Make the Mince Pies

1. Divide the butter into 4 portions
2. Put the flour and salt into a bowl, stir briefly then add 1 portion of the butter (cubed) and rub in with your fingertips
3. Pour in ¾ of the water and mix, with a blunt knife, to a soft dough, adding more water as necessary (do not add so much that the dough turns sticky)
4. Roll the dough into a long rectangle on a lightly floured worktop to approx. 4mm thick. Take another portion of the butter, cube it and scatter over ⅔ of the dough, leaving the final ⅓ empty
5. Fold the empty third of the dough over the top of the dough, bringing it to the centre. Fold the other end of the pastry over the top, then rotate the pastry 90 degrees
6. Repeat steps 4-5 twice more to incorporate the remaining 2 portions of butter
7. When all the butter has been used, rotate the pastry and roll out once more, then fold it and repeat. Fold up again then wrap before chilling for 1 hour in the fridge
8. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ GM 6
9. Remove from the fridge, roll out the pastry to 3mm thick and use a round cutter (about 8½cm) to cut out 12 bases and place them into muffin trays. Fill with mincemeat (around 2 teaspoons per pie)
10. Cut 12 lids using a smaller cutter to fit, brush the underside with beaten egg and place them on top of the mincemeat. Gently press the pastry lids to the side of the pies to seal them
11. Glaze with the beaten egg, sprinkle with demerara sugar (optional), make a small cut in the tops and bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 180C/ 350F/ GM 4 and bake for another 10 minutes
12. Let cool in the muffin tin

Make the Advocaat Butter

1. Cream the soft butter using electric beaters until smooth
2. Add the sugar and mix again
3. Add the brandy, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating well between each addition. Then add the advocaat in the same way. Set aside or chill until required