Fruit Mince Pies

Yup, I'm posting about fruit mince pies again. Because we think we finally have it...
(when I say we, I mean hubby. I stand in the background offering encouraging noises and occasional semi-useless advice)
He made some just before Thanksgiving, and that was when we learnt the important art of leaving the pies to cool for five minutes before attempting to remove from the pans. We also realized that the small glasses we got from Ikea for the kids were perfect cutters for the bottom pastry.
So, this week, we/he made some more, and there were no casualties!! It is a lot of work, and a little bit of fruit mince goes a long way, but now we/he have the art, including but not limited to:

• Making pastry ahead, and keeping in fridge/freezer until using
• Putting on fruit mince around mid-November so it can sit for three weeks
• The correct sized cutters for the top and bottom pastry (Ikea glass, 1/3 cup measure)
• Rolling out correct thickness, and sealing pastry properly
• Prying pastry from pans Really Gently so they hold together (puts me in mind of holding chickens firmly, but gently, so they couldn't get away, but also so you didn't squash them to death).

There is a great deal of satisfaction in having stuck to something that was hard, and getting there. I feel it, and I haven't even been the one putting in the hard work.

If you need the whole history, see posts number 1, number 2, number 3, number 4 and number 5.