• Prepare a large baking tray/sheet or 2, by lining with baking/parchment paper. Also prepare your area that your will roll out the dough on. I like to use baking/parchment paper to save on the mess. Cut out a piece 35cm at its longest (14″). Have some additional flour or icing/powdered sugar handy for rolling out
• Heat the oven to: 220°c/200°c Fan Oven/ 425°f/Gas Mark 7.
• Add the butter & flour (& baking powder if using) to a medium bowl. By hand or using a pastry blender, ‘rub in’ the butter to the flour, to a ‘breadcrumb’ like consistency. However, there isn’t much butter in this recipe, so only a light rubbing of the flour & butter between your finger-tips is required. You can also use a pastry blender/cutter to do this.
• Next add in the spices, salt & sugar, then mix through. Make a well in the middle & add in the egg. Give it a whisk in this hole, & then add in half of the milk, & mix just the milk & egg together.
• Now mix the milk & egg with the dry ingredients. Keep pushing down on the flour, & let it take on as much of the liquid as possible, before adding in any more small drops of the milk. You want the mixture to come together into a very rough ball that will be just a little sticky. You might not need all the milk, or might need a little more.
• Place your ready-cut piece of baking/parchment paper down & dust that & your rolling pin with some flour or icing/powdered sugar.
• Next form the dough into a rough ball & place onto the centre of the paper & form into a square or rectangle. Add some icing/powdered sugar on you hands if needed.
• Roll out the dough with another sheet of paperon top.  Till you have a rectangle of about 22½ x 30cm (9×12″).
• Spread the mincemeat filling on top on the rolled-out dough. Carefully bend over the end of dough nearest you (make sure it is the shorter length) & roll up the dough. Neaten the ends as you go, and stop when near the end. Use your finger to thin and lengthen the end, then pinch the dough together.  Roll it over, rock back and forth to finish off the seal.
• Using a long sharp knife, cut the roll of dough in half then into 16 equal pieces, about 1½ cm (⅔") thick. If you need to, you can coat your knife in some more icing/powdered sugar.
• For each slice, lift carefully & place on top of your prepared baking tray/sheet, & then re-shape any that have got a little squashed and lost their shape on cutting.
• Leave at least 2½ cm/1″ gaps between the slices, and then pop in the oven to bake for 12-18 minutes. Ready when golden & the undersides are set & firmed up. Remove from the oven, & place on top of the cooling rack for 5 mins, before transferring, paper and all to the rack to cool down completely.
• While the swirls are cooling, prepare the glaze by simply starting with your sieved icing/powdered sugar, add in some orange zest, & add very gradually the milk or water. Don’t add all liquid at once. Start with ½ tsp then work down to ⅛ tsp till a thick but pourable consistency. See my Glaze 101 tutorial.
• Once the swirls are cooled, simply use a small spoon (or a piping bag with a tiny hole or piping nozzle), & drizzle the glaze across all the swirls. If using a small spoon, I recommend holding the spoon high above the bake, and it will produce a thinner drizzle and look that bit better. Leave to set up for 15-30 minutes if you can wait!

Serving & Storing:

• Serve the mince meat swirls at room temperature with favourite hot drink.
• Store in a container without the lid and cover with cling film/plastic wrap. Not being airtight, these buns get softer and from next day, have more of a yeast bun texture. Freeze for up to 3 months¹, wrapped individually in cling film/plastic wrap & then foil or a food bag. Defrost at room temperature, not the fridge.
• Freeze for up to 3 months¹, wrapped individually in cling film/plastic wrap & then foil or a food bag. Defrost at room temperature, not the fridge.