These Super Quick Mince Pies are very easy to make. I like to use a sweetened shortcrust pastry as I think the sweetness goes better with the mincemeat and it is Christmas. Homemade mince pies are delicious and so much cheaper than shop bought ones. The shortcrust pastry is not too dry and very easy to make in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can still make the recipe by hand. The prep time will be about 10 minutes.
There are lots of different versions of mincemeat available. Buy the best quality one you can. Some of the cheaper versions can be a little runny. You can buy mincemeat flavoured with Brandy or Port or Amaretto or without the alcohol. You might want to bear in mind that not all mincemeat is not suitable for vegetarians as it contains suet (which is made from animal fat). However, you can buy vegetarian mincemeat.
How to make shortcrust pastry in a food processor
Shortcrust pastry can be made very easily in a food processor. Just add the flour, cubed butter, sugar and ground almonds and mix together. Once you have a breadcrumb mixture, just add the egg and carry on mixing until it forms a shortcrust pastry. Take the pastry out and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes before it is ready to roll. This helps firm it up and means it shouldn't crumble when you try to roll it out.
What to serve with Mince Pies
Mince pies are delicious eaten on their own. My kids like to shake a little icing sugar over the top to look like snow (!). Some people like to serve them with a brandy butter or other cream.
How do I stop my mince pies sticking to the baking tray?
A professional cake baker told me the best way is to use an oil such as vegetable oil in an aerosol to grease the baking tray. The oil is easiest to apply with an aerosol. You can also use a brush to apply a light covering to the tin. An aerosol is, in my experience, the most effective. Another option is to grease the tin with butter. Wait until the mince pies have cooled slightly before removing from the tin. Take them out before they go properly cold.
What's the difference between Mince Pies and a mincement pie?
A mince pie is a traditional British sweet pie that does not contain any mince whatsoever! The filling is made from a dried fruit mixture of dried fruit, apple, suet and candied fruit and spices steeped in rum or brandy or fruit juice. A mincemeat pie, as the name suggests, does contain minced meat.
How to store them
Homemade mince pies will keep for one week if stored in an airtight container. They don't need to be kept in the fridge. You can also freeze mince pies for up to 3 months. You need to freeze them in their trays so that they keep their shape. Once frozen, you can transfer them to another container. You can also freeze the mince pies before they have been cooked. Again, you need to freeze them in their trays to keep their shape before transfering to another container.
Can I reheat mince pies?
I think mince pies are always best served warm and yes you can reheat them. You don't want to cook them again so reheat them in the oven on a low temperature of 120°C / 250°F /gas mark 1 for 3 - 4 minutes. Individual mince pies can also be reheated in a microwave for about 15 seconds.
Sustainability
Making your own mince pies is a more sustainable option than shop bought ones as home made ones come with zero packaging.
Super Quick Mince Pies
Equipment
- 12 hole cake tin
- 2 pastry cutters about 7.5cm and 6.5cm in diameter
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour organic
- 40 g golden caster sugar organic, fairtrade
- 75 g ground almonds organic, fairtrade
- 125 g unsalted butter organic
- 12 teaspoon mincemeat sweet
- 1 egg beaten, organic, freerange
- 5 tablespoon milk organic, to glaze
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C /400°F/gas mark 6. Mix all the ingredients, apart from the egg, together in the food processor until it resembles crumbs then slowly add the egg and wait until the pastry forms. Switch off and remove the pastry from the mixer. Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients together then rub in the butter with your hands until you get a crumb consistency before adding the egg and kneading it together to form the pastry. Place the pastry in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool.
- Grease a 12 hole baking try with oil or butter. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick. Using 2 pastry cutters, cut out the top and bottoms of the mince pies using the larger cutter for the bottom and the next size one for the tops.
- Place the bottoms in the mince pie tray, add a spoonful of mincemeat, brush the edges with a little milk to help the lids stick and place the lids on top. Stick the edges together and prick the top with a fork to allow steam to escape.
- Stick the edges together and prick the top with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place in the oven on a middle shelf for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Brenda
Any recipe with ' quick ' in the title is a winner.'Super quick' is even better . Never tried ground almonds before. really nice