Mince Pies!

Mincemeat (no actual meat was used in the making of these mince pies):
300g mixed dried fruit/cranberries/dried peel (whatever takes your fancy)
1/2 cooking apple (or same amount as dried fruit)
80f unsalted butter - softened
cinnamon stick (remember to take out before dividing up!)
1/2 teaspoon all spice/mix spice
1/2 grated lemon zest
1/2 grated orange zest
200g light brown sugar
200ml (or however strong you want it) of dark rum (or brandy)

Pastry (I used the BBC Good Food easy to make pastry recipe):
225g of unsalted butter at room temp
350g of plain flour
100g caster sugar
pinch of salt
However much mincemeat you like (but don't overfill)
1 small egg
icing sugar to dust
some melted butter to line the tins

Basically for the mincemeat, chop and combine everything together. I placed mine in leftover soup pots for around 2 weeks in a dark, dry place. Occasionally moving them around so the moisture doesn't all stay at the bottom.

For the pastry - follow the instructions. I chose this BBC Good Food recipe because I'm not the greatest at pastry, especially shortcrust. I'm probably as impatient as you can get and believe me when the comments say NOT to add liquid to your pastry. It really does work. Perseverance. It should end up like this:

The key is do exactly as it says. Even when you think it looks a mess!

Alcoholic mince pies. Done!

The first batch - left it in the oven a few minutes more. I'd recommend checking up on them 5min before they're due

Here's some that didn't make it...still tastes delicious though!