Preparation

Mincemeat:

• Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well-blended.

• Simmer mixture over heat until all is tender and well-blended, cool. Mixture will be reduced.

• Refrigerate mincemeat until ready to use in pies. Unused mincemeat will keep in refrigerator for a month or more.

Dough:

• Prepare favorite pastry recipe or prepare this traditional recipe for a 9-inch two-crust pie or 18 mini pies.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Mix the flour and salt.

• Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two forks.

• Combine lightly until the mixture resembles coarse meal or very tiny peas.

• Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed gently into a ball.

• Divide the dough into 2 balls.

• Put one ball in refrigerator until needed.

• Roll out other ball on a floured pastry cloth and cut into 12 3-inch rounds.

• Fit each dough round into a greased 12-muffin tin.

• Fill each muffin cup with about 1/3 cup of prepared mincemeat.

• Roll out remaining dough and cut into 12 rounds slightly smaller than 3 inches in diameter.

• Place smaller rounds on top of filled pies and prick edges with fork to seal.

• Tops of mini pies may be brushed with milk to seal.

• Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top.

• Bake mini pies for about 30 to 45 minutes or until browned.

• Let pies cool in tin 5 minutes and carefully remove.

• When ready to serve, warm pies in oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.