A mince pie, also known as minced pie, is a small British fruit-based mincemeat sweet pie traditionally served during the Christmas season. Short crust pastry filled with rich, sticky and spiced fruit filling. The fruit filling mainly made using dry fruits such as sultanas, raisins, currants, cranberries etc. They have not full casings but little stars as lids, which makes them look beautiful and taste flatteringly light.

You can use good shop-bought mincemeat  and ready to roll short crust pastry if you want, to make it in a jiffy. But I'm hoping you might give my new Cranberry-Studded Mincemeat a go, which is made from scartch. It tastes both rich , boozy, fresh and fruity.



INGREDIENTS:

For Short Crust Pastry:
All-purpose flour- 2 cups
Salt- ¼ teaspoon
Icing sugar- 4 tablespoons
Unsalted butter, slightly cold-200grams
Egg yolk- 1 large
Cold water- 4 to 5 tablespoons or as required

For the Dry Fruit Filling:
Mixed dry fruits- 2 cups (raisins, cranberries, sultanas…etc)
Apple juice- ¼ cup
Brown sugar- ½ cup
Orange zest- 2 teaspoons
Orange juice- ½
Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoons
Mixed spice powder- ¼ teaspoons (coriander seeds, cinnamon, clove, dry ginger, pepper, nutmeg - each 1 teaspoon powdered)



PROCEDURE:
  • Combine together all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.

  •  Reduce the flame to medium and allow to simmer until the dry fruits turn soft and the water content is almost completely absorbed. Allow this to cool completely.

  • Combine together, all-purpose flour, salt and icing sugar. Add butter and mix gently using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Form a well inside the crumbs and add egg yolk and sufficient quantity of ice water, mix gently until the dough just comes together. Knead the dough until you get a smooth dough.
  • Divide the dough into two parts and wrap with cling film and chill in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
 
  • Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until 3 mm thick and cut the base using a round cookie cutter.

  • Take one round base in the hand and fill with 1 to 2 tsp of the fruit filling. Press the stuffing with fingers and form cup shape. Gently press this into the muffin tin. Cut star shapes also from the remaining dough and keep on top of the pies.
  • Preheat oven to 180oC.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the base hardens and the base cooks well.
  • Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar on top if you like.
  • Makes about 15-18 mini pies.