200g / 7oz Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
100g / 3.5oz Butter
25g / 1oz Icing Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
2-3 tbsp Milk
300g / 10.5oz Mincemeat
1 Egg, beaten, for sealing and glazing

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
3. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Mix in the sugar and egg yolk.
5. Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until smooth.
6. Shape the dough into a ball and roll out to a thickness of 1cm / ½ inch.
7. Use fluted cutters to cut out 12 rounds of 7cm / 2¾ inches diameter and 12 rounds of 5cm / 2 inches diameter. Dust 12 tartlet tins with flour and line with the larger dough rounds.
8. Prick the bases with a fork, then half-fill each pie with mincemeat.
9. Brush beaten egg around the rims, then press the smaller dough rounds on top to seal.
10. Make a small hole in the top of each one.
11. Decorate the pies with Christmas trees made from dough trimmings.
12. Brush all over with beaten egg, then bake for 15 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
14. Dust with icing sugar, decorate and serve.