Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Grease a 12-hole deep muffin tin generously. Stir orange zest and brandy into mincemeat.
- Remove filo — cover immediately with a damp tea towel. Working one sheet at a time, brush with melted butter. Layer 3 sheets, buttering between each. Cut into 12 equal squares approximately 10x10cm. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets — 24 squares total.
- Press one triple-layered square into each muffin hole. Place a second square on top at 45 degrees — corners offset to give 8 petal points.
- Fill each case with a generous 1½ tsp of mincemeat.
- Bake 15–18 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Cool in tin 5 minutes. Remove carefully. Dust generously with icing sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Keep filo covered with a damp tea towel at all times — it dries and tears within minutes.
Brush butter between every layer generously — under-buttered filo bakes pale and soft.
Offset the two squares at 45 degrees for 8 petal points and the most dramatic appearance.
Use a deep muffin tin not a shallow bun tin — depth is needed to hold the mincemeat.
Best eaten within 2–3 hours of baking — mincemeat moisture softens the filo over time.
Bake empty cases ahead and fill on the day for the crispiest result.
