With Christmas season rapidly approaching, sometimes it can seem difficult to curb the craving for a good old mince pie.

Luckily, there is one “unbelievably easy” recipe you can use to bake a fresh batch from scratch in under an hour.

With a golden, buttery crust and a sweet, spiced filling, these mince pies are not just easy to make but also irresistibly delightful, ensuring they become a staple in your holiday repertoire.

This BBC Good Food method only takes six steps and six ingredients, and makes 18 delicious, golden pies to share with the whole family or guests.

These pies will remain fresh for three to four days if stored in an airtight container, which makes them great for preparing in advance.

Ingredients

225g cold butter, diced

350g plain flour

100g golden caster sugar

280g mincemeat

One small egg, beaten

Icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

Begin by incorporating the butter into the flour using your fingertips, then blend in the golden caster sugar along with a pinch of salt.

Gather the mixture into a ball—there’s no need to add any liquid—and knead it gently. The resulting dough should be relatively firm, similar to shortbread dough. You can use it right away or refrigerate it for later use.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (or 180°C for fan ovens) or gas mark 6. Prepare two 12-hole patty tins by pressing small, walnut-sized pieces of pastry into each cavity.

Fill the pastry bases with mincemeat. Take slightly smaller pieces of pastry than before and flatten them between your hands to create round lids that will cover the pies.

Place the lids on the pies, gently pressing the edges together to seal them—there’s no need for milk or egg wash, as they will adhere on their own. These pies can be frozen for up to one month.

Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Allow them to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. When ready to serve, lightly sprinkle with icing sugar.