Mince Pies

Mince pies are one of my favourite indulgencies at Christmas and my first mince pie of the season is something I look forward to.

I make my mincemeat too, it gives me the chance to pack in the flavours that I love as I am the only person in my immediate family that like them. My dad was a chef and his pastry was so light, so many Christmas memories were centred around the mince pie. Whether it was making them or the way I eat them. They have to be warm, the lid lifted, cream added, lid replaced and eaten.

These are

• Sweet
• Buttery
• Crumbly
• Delicious
• Fragrant

When I became coeliac it took me quite a while to come up with a sweet pastry recipe and I certainly had a lot of fails. It had to be short and buttery. Becoming vegan did not add too many problems. Once I achieved the buttery crumbly texture I wanted, I was over the moon.

There is some wonderful shop-bought mincemeat out there that are both gluten-free and vegan, plus you can always add to them. Whether that means some cranberries or a drop of alcohol. One of my favourites is the one from Costa, when purchased with a mug of oat hot chocolate is a delight on a wintery day.

Every year I say that I will only make a dozen, this ends up being about 4 dozen. They are always welcomed by others though.

Egg replacers

If you are vegan and need to use an egg replace there are a few options. In this recipe, I have opted for Crackd liquid. You could also use a fax egg. This is made by mixing 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds with 3 tbsp of hot water. Once mixed you leave to one side to thicken for 5 minutes. This is by far the least expensive option.

• Makes 12-14
• Preparation Time 40 Minutes
• Baking Time 20 Minutes

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free

Ingredients

• 250 g of a good quality gluten-free plain flour 
• 50g ground almonds
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 62g caster sugar
• 150g dairy-free butter
• 60 ml of Crackd vegan egg replacer or 1 egg if you are not vegan
• 250 g Mincemeat
• Icing sugar

Method

1.  In a large bowl sift the plain flour and xanthan gum. Then add the ground almonds and the butter. Then with the tips of your fingers or a pastry cutter, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2. Mix in the sugar and then add the egg replacer or egg. Using a round edge knife or the tips of your fingers gather it together to form a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 C and spray a 12 hole muffin tin with oil.
4. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, the larger being for the cases. Place the rested dough on a piece of baking parchment dusted with flour and lightly dust the rolling pin. Gently roll out the dough and using a large pastry cutter cut out 12 cases, you may need to re-roll.
5. Press into the tins and fill almost to the top with the mincemeat.
6. Using the last piece of dough roll out and using a smaller cutter (I used a star cutter) cut 12 tops and place them on the mincemeat.
7. Sprinkle with a little caster sugar and place in the oven until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.
8. Once cool if not freezing dust with icing sugar and place in an airtight tin. They will keep for a week in a Tupperware box or freeze well for up to 5 months in an airtight freezer bag.

 

• Roasted Fresh Tomato Sauce
• We all Scream for Ice Cream
• Vegan (Tofu) Schnitzel
• “Cheese” and Tomato Tartlets
• Coffee & Walnut Cupcakes

If you decide to give this recipe a try, please tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments.