I make my pastry in the food mixer by pulsing together the flour, baking powder, sugar, butter and cream cheese until it forms a crumbly texture then I add in the egg and pulse again until it comes together in a ball. Scoop onto some clingfilm and chill for a minimum of an hour before using.

If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour then stir in the baking powder and sugar. Use a dinner knife to cut in the cream cheese and then bring together using the egg. Whichever way you go, don't over handle the pastry and stop just before it comes together.

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Work with half the pastry at a time, keeping one half in the fridge. Roll out to approximately 2-3mm thick and stamp out circles of pastry big enough to line your tart tin* and press into the tin. Add a spoonful of mincemeat (don't over fill) then stamp out circles of pastry just big enough to cover each tart and cut out a star with your small cutter before placing on top of the tart and pressing lightly to seal. Brush with milk and sprinkle generously with extra caster sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is dry to the touch but at most, pale golden brown - these little pies aren't meant to be very brown when baked.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes to allow them to firm up and then pop each one out onto a rack to finish cooling. If you have only one tin, make the second batch in the same way.

If you prefer, you don't need to sprinkle with caster sugar before baking and instead, can dust liberally with icing sugar to serve.