The Queen's secret mince pie recipe has been revealed

Fancy eating like a royal this Christmas? Well, now you can as Buckingham Palace has revealed the Queen‘s top secret recipe for mince pies.

Unfortunately, it might take a little longer than you thought. The Palace’s top pastry chef Kathryn Cuthbertson explained that they prepare the mincemeat for the festive treats months in advance.

Each Christmas reception held at Buckingham Palace requires over 1200 mince pies to be served along with gingerbread man, Jammy Dodgers and chocolate roulade.

As well as a traditional mince pie recipe, Cuthbertson and her team create a smaller version topped with flaked almonds and another using puff pastry.

The mincemeat contains golden sultanas, currants and russet apples for maximum taste.

The royal pastry chef’s top tips for making mince pies include giving yourself plenty of time and always having cold hands.

So if you were thinking of creating your own pies this year, perhaps wait until 2018 to really perfect the treat.

Here’s the recipe for the Queen’s traditional mince pies:

Ingredients

For the mincemeat

Zest and some juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

Zest and some juice of 1 unwaxed orange

2 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon of port

1 tablespoon of rum

1 tablespoon of sherry, 120g (1 cup) suet

160g (3/4 cup) golden sultanas

100g (1/2 cup) raisins

100g (1/2 cup) mixed peel

100g (1/2 cup) currants

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

160g (6oz) russet apples, peeled and grated

500g (1lb 2 oz) sweet pastry

Egg wash for sticking lids on the bases

Granulated sugar for the top of the mince pies before baking

Equipment

12 hole non-stick shallow baking tray / mince pie tin 32 x 24 cm (12.5 x 9″)

Fluted or plain cutters

Method

Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir. Then add all the liquid and grated apple and allow to soak for at least one week in a 1kg kilner jar sat in the fridge or pantry.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5).

Roll the sweet pastry into a sheet approximately 2 to 3mm thick, place on a tray, and allow to rest in the fridge. Once rested, cut tops and bottoms for your mince pies using fluted or plain cutters (selecting sizes to fit your tin). Place the pie bases into the tin and prick them with a small knife or fork to prevent the pastry from rising during the baking.

Spoon a teaspoon of the home-made mincemeat into the base and egg wash the edge of the pastry to enable the lids to stick. Place the mince pies in the fridge to rest for another 30 minutes, then add a pastry top to each, egg washing it and pricking a small hole in the top to allow the steam to escape. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake the pies for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry turns golden and the mincemeat starts to boil slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before taking the pies out of their tin.

Sprinkle the mince pies with icing sugar and serve immediately. To add a festive feel, the mince pie tops could be shaped with a star cutter or perhaps a holly-shaped cutter.

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