Sometimes on an extra chilly night, all the stars come out, and twinkle from afar.
In our household we love the twinkly lights that winter brings, the dark evenings, the candles flickering, the sparkling lights on the tree, and if we're lucky, that roaring fire blazing...
So a delicious recipe for you to try and perfect for a lunch box is the star shaped mince pies. Even if you don't have the cutters for the circle or the star, you can make a star template and use a jar or cup for the circle, then cut them out with a sharp knife.
225g (8oz) plain flour
¼ tsp salt
85g (3 ½oz) TREX, plus a little extra, for greasing
1 tbsp icing sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange and 2 tbsp of the juice
1 small egg, beaten with 1 tbsp cold water
Filling:
4 heaped tbsp luxury mincemeat
50g (2oz) cream cheese
Icing sugar, for sprinkling
Method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in the TREX with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the icing sugar, orange zest, orange juice and 2 tbsp of the beaten egg mixture. Mix together with a round-bladed knife until the pastry clings together. Form the dough into a ball, then wrap in cling film and chill for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/Gas Mark 6.
3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 5mm (¼in) thick. Stamp out 12 rounds with a 7.5mm (3in) cutter, then 12 rounds with a 6mm (2 ½in) cutter, re-rolling the pastry as necessary. Alternatively, use a star-shaped cutter to stamp out the tops.
4. Place the larger rounds of pastry into patty tins and add 1 level tsp of mincemeat, then 1 level tsp of cream cheese. Brush the pastry rims with the beaten egg, then place the lids on top, sealing the edges together. Brush with beaten egg, to glaze.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, then serve, sprinkled with icing sugar.
Homemade do taste best, but if you're really short of time, try the frozen or fresh ready made pastry available in the chiller in your local supermarket...
For a savoury idea, why not try these turkey star shaped sandwich bites....
For the full recipe, hop over to My Momma Told Me About... great party food too!
What starry ideas can you come up with for your lunch?
The Lunchbox World Team x
In case you've missed some, here are all the posts in the 12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun:
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun - Day 1 - Gingerbread Men!
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun Day 2 - Father Christmas
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun Day 3 - Snowmen
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun Day 4 - Christmas Trees
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun Day 5 - Lovehearts
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun Day 6 - Reindeers
12 Days of Lunch Box Festive Fun - Day 7 - Christmas Puddings