Mince pies

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl, then lightly rub in the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in 8-10 tbsp cold water with a round-bladed knife to form a dough. Draw the mixture together with clean hands into a rough ball, adding a little more water if needed. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin, about 0.3cm. Cut out 12 discs with a 10cm fluted cutter and another 12 with a 7cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the trimmings. Line a 12-hole bun tin with the larger discs.

Using a teaspoon, fill the pastry cases with mincemeat. Dampen the edges of the small pastry discs on one side with cold water. Gently press the small discs, damp-side down, on top of the pastry bottoms and seal the edges.

Whisk the milk with the egg yolk to make a glaze and brush it over the top of each mince pie. Prick the lids with a fork to allow the steam to escape while cooking. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool for 4-5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, dusted with the sugar.