Rum and raisin mince pies

It's beginning to feel even more like Christmas...  The rum-and-raisin mincemeat was too good to wait until it's even Christmassier to use, so I made some mince pies.  I used the same pastry recipe as the one I used for my recent pecan, rum and chocolate chunk pie - it's so easy I'm not going back to shop-bought pastry!

Ingredients

12oz rum-and-raisin mincemeat

8oz plain flour, sifted

3oz golden caster sugar

4 butter, diced

1 egg, beaten

Milk, to glaze

Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the butter and flour together in a large bowl, using your fingertips to make breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar and then the egg, and mix with a spatula to combine. 
3. Once a dough starts to form, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead gently to bring it together.  Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for 20-30 mins.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Grease a 12-hole bun tin.
5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface.  Cut out 12 circles with a fluted pastry cutter, large enough to fill the bun tins.
6. Press the pastry circles gently into each hole, then fill with the mincemeat.
7. Brush the edges of the pastry cases with milk.
8. Cut out 12 stars with a pastry cutter and use to cover the mincemeat.  Press the tips of the stars onto the edges of the pastry cases to seal, then brush lightly with milk.
9. Bake the pies for 20 minutes until golden brown.
10. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar.