Mince pies are everywhere at Christmas, but they’re a little bit like Marmite – you either love them, or hate them. If you’re firmly against the pastry treat, then we’ve found the best mince pie alternatives from the supermarkets. But if you love them and want to whip up a batch at home, keep on reading.
![[Matt Adlard, with a KitchenAid mixer]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Matt-3fd0-e1702559687648.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
That’s because pastry chef, Matt Adlard, has shared the secrets of making mince pies with Metro — including the type of pastry you should use and whether or not you can freeze the festive treats. And according to the baker and author from Norwich, you can easily make the festive snack using just four ingredients.
If you aren’t too keen on getting your hands dirty, there is a much quicker, easier, and totally stress-free way to make mince pies, according to Matt – and the best part is, you’ll only need four items to do it. The pro claims there’s no shame in nipping to the supermarket and buying ready-made shortcrust pastry and a jar of mince meat for your pies.
‘Saves you the hassle on making your own and means you can pull them together in no time,’ he explains. As an added bonus, Matt says: ‘Store bought shortcrust pastry will already be rolled out so will be a lot easier to handle and cut and save you the stress of melted pastry’.
Using some of Matt’s top tips, we’ve put together a speedy recipe to make the best cheat’s mince pies. Here’s what you’ll need:. Simply unroll your pastry, cut it into circles (with 7.5cm round pastry cutter if you have one) and pop them into a greased 12-hole baking tin. Fill each circle with mincemeat.
