Mince pies with a twist: Recipes with apples, oranges and gingerbread
The British love eating mince pies, including me. Most of us get so excited when we see these little festive pies pop up in shops come December. I usually buy as many as I can, but making them at home can be more fun (and quite easy too). If you aren’t too keen to bake the same traditional filling everyone else is eating, try one of these delicious spins on mince pie flavours.
Note: If you’re entertaining guest this festive season, these pies can come in handy for any last-minute Christmas emergencies as the pastry can be pre-made in batches and kept frozen with the fillings in airtight jars.
Spiced Apple Mince Pies
These mince pies are perfect for anybody who wants to do a slight twist on the original. Part apple pie and part mince, they taste perfect with a cup of tea (or a glass of brandy!).
You Will Need
Makes 10
For The Pastry:
100g of Unsalted Butter
200g Plain Flour
Pinch Of Salt
Splash of Water
For The Filling:
150g of Dried Mixed Fruit
100ml of Apple Juice
1tsp of Apple Cider Vingear
100g of Light Brown sugar
2 Diced and Peeled Cooking Apples
1tbsp of Plain Flour
2tbsp of Ground Cinnamon
1tsp of Ground Nutmeg
1 Beaten Egg (for glaze)
Icing Sugar (for decoration)
To Make
To make the pastry, combine the flour, salt and butter and rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a splash of water the bring the mixture together to form a dough and refrigerate whilst making the filling.
For the filling, dissolve the brown sugar in the apple juice and cider vinegar in a saucepan over a low heat.
Once the sugar has disappeared, stir in the diced apple, dried fruit and spices. Leave on a low heat for 15-20 until the mixture is thick.
Mix in the spoonful of plain flour to ensure that all the liquid has gone.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about a 1cm thickness.
Cut out circles 7cm in diameter and use them to line a pie or cupcake tin.
Spoon in the filling and using any leftover pastry, decorate with two stars on the top.
Brush over some beaten egg and bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave to cool then serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar on top
If you’re entertaining guest this festive season, these pies can come in handy for any last-minute Christmas emergencies as the pastry can be batch pre-made and kept frozen with the fillings kept in airtight jars.
Gingerbread Mince Pies
Gingerbread is a Christmas staple and what better than to combine them with mince pies. Leave one out for Santa on Christmas Eve if you haven’t eaten them all.
You Will Need
Makes 12
For The pastry:
100g of Unsalted Butter
200g of Plain Flour
1tbsp of Ground Ginger
A Pinch of Salt
A Splash of Water
For The Filling:
2 Medium Eggs
80g of Melted Butter
80g of Caster Sugar
80g of Ground Almonds
2tbsp of Plain Flour
50g of Crystallised Ginger
1tbsp of Ground Ginger
To Make
To make the pastry, combine the flour, ground ginger, salt and butter and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a splash of water then bring the mixture together to form a dough, adding more water if necessary. Leave in the fridge to chill whilst making the filling.
For the filling, beat together the caster sugar and eggs then add the butter, ground almonds, flour, crystallised and ground ginger.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about a 1cm thickness.
Cut out circles 7cm in diameter and use them to line a pie or cupcake tin leaving some leftover pastry for the top.
Spoon in the filling to about halfway and bake at 180 °C for 10 minutes
Whilst the pies are in the oven, cut out small gingerbread men for the top.
Take the pies out of the oven, put the gingerbread men on top and egg wash the pastry. Return the pies to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave to cool then serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar on top.
Chocolate Orange Mince Pies
Christmas isn’t Christmas without some form of chocolate orange and these pies hit the spot. They’re so easy to make but will wow any table.
You Will Need
Makes 4-6 Large Mince Pies
For The Pastry:
100g of Unsalted Butter
200g of Plain Flour
A Pinch of Salt
A Splash of Water
For The Filling:
200g of Fine-Cut Marmalade
50g of Dark Chocolate Chips
To Make
To make the pastry, combine the flour, salt and butter and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a splash of water then bring together to form a dough. Leave in the fridge to chill.
For the filling, mix together the marmalade and chocolate chips and set aside.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll out and cut 4-6 large circles leaving some leftover pastry for the lattice tops.
Line individual pie or tart tins with the pastry circles and put a spoonful of the filling in each.
Roll out the remaining pastry in a rectangle shape and cut strips 1 ½ inches wide. Arrange them in a lattice pattern on the top of the pies.
Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake at 180 °C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Leave to cool then serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar on top
