Xmas mince pies
We never knew mince pies would be so easy to make – and in a healthy style – but we’re pretty proud of these! They won’t leave you feeling like you’ve over-indulged and they make the perfect treat if you’re hosting, or an impressive gift if you’re visiting.
Our filling uses apples and raisins, a nice balance of flavour and texture, which isn’t ultra sweet. Seasonal British apples, like Cox’s, are great, and work better than cooking apples as they retain their shape and bite. A little coconut oil holds the filling together and keeps it nice and juicy. And the warm spices make this taste traditionally festive! For the pastry, we’ve used a combination of almonds and oats, for a soft, light and non-stodgy case.
These will keep for up to a week, sealed, in a cool place.
Happy Christmas baking, everyone!
Makes 10
For the filling:
- 2 large apples, cut into small pieces
- 125g (1 1/4 cup) raisins
- 35g (1/4 cup) chopped almonds (optional)
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the pastry:
- 100g (1 cup) ground almonds + extra for lining tray
- 175g (1 1/2 cup) oats
- 5 Medjool dates
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil at room temperature
- Large pinch salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp natural vanilla (optional)
- Put all of the filling ingredients into a pan, cover and simmer for about 15 mins until the apples are soft and the sauce has thickened. Put to one side to cool.
- Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease a shallow muffin tray and sprinkle with a little ground almond.
- For the pastry, blitz everything together in a food processor until the mixture comes together (you want to be able to pinch the mixture together between your fingers). If it’s too dry, add a little more water, 1 tsp at a time.
- Tip the mixture onto a surface and bring it together to form a dough. Roll out until it’s about 3mm thick. Cut out out 10 circles (using a cookie cutter or glass) and 10 stars for the top. You’ll have to bring the dough together and roll it out again a couple of times.
- Carefully line the holes of the muffin tray with the pastry circles, fill with the cooled mincemeat (around 1 1/2 tsp per pie), and top with the pastry stars. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown.
