This recipe is translated from an old french cookbook of my mum’s. I have a tendency to ask her for a photo of it every year, but hopefully putting it up here means I won’t need it any longer.
You can substitute margarine to make this vegan, but make sure that it’s the stiff block-style kind, and not the soft spreadable kind.
about 300 grams, which corresponds to 12 mince pies, or one full-sized pie.
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together.
Rub in the butter with the tips of your fingers (to avoid melting it with your fingers) until you have fine crumbs
Add a bit of water so the pastry holds together, then form into a ball.
Leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
If you’ve left it in the fridge for more than two hours, let sit in room temperature for 20 minutes or so before using.
If using gluten-free flour, you don’t need to rest it for as long, but you want to use slightly more butter so it doesn’t fall apart.