Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C). Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.

Unroll 1 sheet of pastry on a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured work surface.

With a 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut the pastry into discs, re-rolling the scraps as necessary. When finished, you should have 16 discs total. (If you still have some pastry remaining, you can cut a few more pieces. You’ll need 2 for each additional pie you want to make.)

Re-roll scraps. With a 2-inch star or other decorative cutter, cut a star for each pastry.

Arrange half of the discs on prepared tray.

Spoon 2-3 heaping teaspoons of mincemeat into the center of each disc, allowing a 1/2-inch border around the edge.

With a pastry brush, brush a thin strip of beaten egg around the outer edge of each disc.

Top with a second disc, then use your fingertips to seal the edges.

Crimp the edges of each pie with a fork.

With a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of egg wash to the tops of the pies

Place a star on top of each pie, pressing down gently to secure it to the pastry. Brush with egg wash.

Sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.

With a metal spatula, transfer hand pies to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by brandy butter or vanilla ice cream.

Store leftover pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.