These are great for a gluten free friend as a gift or perfect for all the family when you want to make your own mince pies for a special festive treat. Our mincemeat is sugar free but still sweet and the pastry is short and delicious. Decorate the tops with cut out pastry shapes to make them extra pretty! What better to get you in the festive spirit!
Gluten free pastry
200 g gluten free plain flour
100g vegan margarine or butter
1 egg
1. Rub the fat into the flour, add the beaten egg and mix to a soft dough. Roll out thinly and carefully. This quantity of pastry will make 12 small mince pies.
2. Cut out 12 rounds using a 7 cm round biscuit cutter and line a patty tin with the bases, fill with mincemeat. Use the remaining pastry for tops which can be cut from any shape you fancy – stars, hearts etc
Mincemeat
750 g cooking apples peeled and chopped
1 tbs mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
Juice and rind of I unwaxed or organic lemon
Juice and rind of 1 unwaxed or organic orange
500 g dried fruit – mix of dates, apricots, figs, raisins, sultanas, currants
100 g mixed peel
100 g flaked or slivered almonds
100g honey
1-2 tbs brandy
1. Preheat oven to 200°c. Stew the apples in a pan or in the oven until soft and pulpy.
2. Chop the larger dried fruits and add to the apples along with all the other ingredients. Spoon into the pastry cases and add the pastry tops. Bake for 10 – 15 mins until the pastry is cooked.
3. Store extra mincemeat in a sealed container in the fridge – it keeps well for several weeks.