Mincemeat Pie Recipe

Make your mince pies in advance and put them in an airtight container ready for nibbling on. Each bite is a fusion of flavours and they taste scrumptious! If you want to make a dairy free mince pie you can use a dairy free spread instead of butter for the pastry.

You will also need one (or two) trays baking trays, two different size cutters, one for the bottom, one for the top of the pie, 3 inch (7.5 cm) pastry cutter and one 2½ inch (6 cm) cutter.

Ingredients

1¼ lb /560g mincemeat

12 oz/ 350g white spelt flour

3 oz/ 75g butter/dairy free spread

pinch of salt

For the top of the pies:

a little milk/almond milk/soya milk

icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

Method

Make up the pastry by sifting the spelt flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter/dairy free spread until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Then add just enough cold water to mix to a dough that leaves the bowl clean.

Leave the pastry to rest in in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Divide up the pastry and dust a surface with flour, then roll out the pastry as thinly as possible and cut out the bases for the pies using the 3 inch (7.5 cm) cutter. Then do the same with the other half of the pastry, this time using the 2½ inch (6 cm) cutter, this will be the tops of the pies.

Now grease the baking tins lightly and line them with the largest pieces of pastry. Fill these with mincemeat to the level of the edges of the pastry. Dampen the edges of the smaller of pastry with water and press them lightly into position to form little lids, sealing the edges.

Brush the tops of the pies with milk and bake in the pre-heated over for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool the mincemeat pies on a wire tray and sprinkle with icing sugar. When cool, store in an airtight container.

