Emergency pastry help needed

[bobleponge]

Christmas hasnt come to my house as its only me, but as I was tidying my cupboards I found a jar of mincemeat.
Decided to live it up and make some pies, checked out Delia for sweet type pastry but her recipe's have lard and I dont have any.

Anyone got a sweet pastry recipe with no lard??

I know its in the wrong section but I thought more people might be in here and please forgive me Mods cos its a special time of the year

TA

[zazen999]

What fat HAVE you got?

[bobleponge]

Got butter, loads of

[scarey55]

I should think you could make it out of all butter - it should make a really rich pastry. That reminds me, I'd better get on with making my mince pies.

[Two_Sheds]

Unbelievably easy mince pies with butter

[batpixie]

I didn't have any lard when I made my mince pies yesterday. I didn't want to buy a full block of lard for a couple of ounces, so I just substituted the lard for butter. I've not tasted the pies yet, but they look OK.

[FionaH]

Unbelievably easy mince pies with butter

My pastry is so bad it has become a legend in our house, but these look easy, might try it!

[bobleponge]

Cheers all, TS' mince pies now in the oven.

After having reread my original post, I would like to amend it slightly to read "I looked in Delia's book" rather than "I checked out Delia" as the thought is making me slightly ill.

[Flummery]

I never use lard. I use marge or butter or white veg fat (Trex - other veg fats probabaly available!) or a combination. Enjoy your mince pies Bob! I think I can smell them!

[bobleponge]

Probably means I've burnt them then Flum.

[Jeanied]

I made some 'Delia' sausage rolls yesterday - using her grated butter method in the pastry - pastry was great: but her suggestion of putting grated onion in the sausage meat has made some rather onion-y sausage rolls - birds are getting the rest!

[Flummery]

I put coarsely chopped onion and sage in mine - we like our sausage rolls robust!

[Glutton4...]

Yup, me too Flum - and Garlic

They're just about to go in t'oven!


*dribble...

[valmarg]

This is an old Robert Carrier recipe I've been using for years:-

MINCE PIE PASTRY

225g (8oz) butter at room temperature
100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 large egg yolks
350g (12oz) flour
100g (4oz) ground almonds
few drops of lemon juice

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and light. Beat in the egg yolks a little at a time. Gradually stir in the flour, and then stir in the ground almonds and lemon juice.

2. Shape into a ball and wrap the dough in cling film or polythene bag. Chill for at least 1 hour.


It is extremely short, and takes a bit of kneading when taken out of the fridge. When the mince pies are cooked, they need to be left to go cold in the tins, otherwise they tend to crumble.

I've got 18 out of 24. The broken bits are 'cook's privilege',

valmarg

[bobleponge]

I think I have some crushed almonds somewhere, so will have a go at them tomorrow Valmarg.
The ones TS posted have come out pretty good, although I think I made them just a little bit thick, but they taste scrummy.