Recipe: A Trio of Mince Pies

Variety is the spice of life and this is as true at Christmas time as it is during the rest of the year. Whilst I love traditional Mince Pies, I also like to ring the changes and vary my basic mince pies recipe to make other versions.

 

I am a huge fan of almonds and have always loved frangipane tarts and what could be better than combining frangipane with mincemeat to create Frangipane Mince Pies? There is something so wonderful about the combination of flavours which makes them impossible to resist. The flaked almonds add a pleasing crunch and the frangipane topping means that the individual pies do not dry out. Heavenly!

I always seem to have egg whites leftover after other baking projects so it seemed logical to use them to place a cloud-like puff of meringue on top of some mince pies. These pies are sweet but the contrast between the buttery pastry, the rich fruit filling and the light meringue is wonderful. Each recipe below makes 16 individual mince pies.

 

Mince Pies

Basic Pastry:

 

INGREDIENTS:

175g plain flour

50g icing sugar

100g cold butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk

2 tbsp cold water

 

METHOD:

1. Sieve the flour and icing sugar together into a large mixing bowl. Add the diced butter and using your fingertips rub into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk and the water and mix together with a fork to bring everything together.
3. Turn out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Form into a flat disc, wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

 

Makes 350g pastry.

 

Traditional Mince Pies

Traditional Mince Pies:

 

INGREDIENTS:

350g basic pastry (see recipe above)

Approximately 450g Mincemeat

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work-surface and using a 7cm round cookie cutter, stamp out rounds of the pastry. Use to line 16 individual patty tins.
2. Place a generous teaspoon of mincemeat into each individual pastry shell.
3. Using a pastry brush dampen the edge of each little pie with a little water or beaten egg and place another round of pastry on top. Seal the pies by pressing the edges together with the tines of a fork. Cut a little slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.
4. If you like you can stamp out star shapes and use these to top each mince pie instead.
5. Place in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes until light golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature dusted with icing sugar.

 

Makes 16 Mince Pies.

 

Frangipane Mince Pies

Frangipane Mince Pies

 

INGREDIENTS:

175g basic pastry (see recipe above)

100g butter, softened

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs

100g ground almonds

1 tbsp of plain flour

a couple of drops of almond extract

25g flaked almonds

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work-surface and using a 7cm round cookie cutter, stamp out rounds of the pastry. Use to line 16 individual patty tins.
2. Place a generous teaspoon of mincemeat into each individual pastry shell.

3. 

   Frangipane Mince Pies

   To make the frangipane, place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer beat together until light a fluffy. Add the eggs and beat together until fully incorporated. Next beat in the ground almonds, flour and almond extract.
4. Place the mixture into a disposable piping bag fitted with 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe the mixture onto the top of each pie (don’t overfill as the mixture will spread out during baking). Scatter over a few flaked almonds.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes until light golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

 

Makes 16 Frangipane Mince Pies.

 

Meringue Mine Pies

Meringue Mince Pies

 

INGREDIENTS:

175g basic pastry (see recipe above)

2 large egg whites

125g caster sugar

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work-surface and using a 7cm round cookie cutter, stamp out rounds of the pastry. Use to line 16 individual patty tins.
2. Place the egg whites into a large spotlessly clean mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
3. Add in the sugar gradually, mixing well after each addition to create a stiff and glossy meringue. Spoon the mixture into a disposable piping bag filled with a 1cm star nozzle and pipe a swirl of meringue on top of each mince pie.
4. Place in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes until the meringue is tinged a light golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Makes 16 Meringue Mince Pies.



Traditional Mince Pies

Recipe: Mincemeat Shortcake Bars

For me, Christmas is not Christmas without mince pies and from mid November onwards I jump at any excuse to make a batch or two. I love nothing more than sitting in front of a turf fire nibbling on mince pies and drinking hot tea. Whilst I love traditional mince pies, I’m always on the lookout for new recipes using mincemeat that evoke all the flavours of Christmas but are a little different.

I often make these shortcake bars and they always seem to go down a treat with unexpected visitors during the festive period. Because of the use of self-raising flour, the pastry has a softer texture when baked than that used in conventional mince pies but it makes a nice change and people really seem to like them.

 

INGREDIENTS:

Pastry:

240g self-raising flour

15g icing sugar

125g cold butter, cubed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

30ml cold water

1 jar (approximately 400g or so) mincemeat

2tbsp brandy

To finish:

2tbsp caster sugar

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to Fan Oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 30cm x 20cm traybake tin with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

3. Place the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour using the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and water. Mix everything together using a fork until it comes together.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly and shape into a ball.

5. Divide the dough in half. Press one half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared tin flattening it out with your fingers or the back of a metal spoon to create a level surface.

6. Mix the mincemeat and brandy together in a small bowl and then spoon onto the pastry in the traybake tin, spreading it out evenly.

7. Roll the other half of the dough between two sheets of flour non-stick baking parchment paper into a rectangle the same size as the tin (i.e. 30cms x 20cms).

8. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and lift the rolled out pastry on the other sheet of parchment, flip it over to cover the mincemeat filling. Tuck in the edges of the pastry making sure that the filling is covered.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Set aside to cool before cutting into 16 bars.

 

Makes 16 bars.

 

Recipe: Plum Frangipane Tart with Buttermilk Ice-Cream

Frangipane tarts are so versatile and can be adapted to use whatever fruits are in season. Stone fruits work particularly well, as do pears, apples and soft fruits like raspberries. You can also use other ground nuts in place of the ground almonds in the frangipane filling to complement the fruit that is used. A particular favourite of mine is ground hazelnuts with pears. I am keeping it simple here and using a classic almond frangipane topped with sliced plums.

The thing that I love most about this tart is the fact that the pastry does not require blind-baking beforehand; the filling goes into the unbaked pie shell which makes life incredibly easy.

 

I have also included my recipe for buttermilk ice-cream which is lovely and refreshing and something a little different.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Plum frangipane tart:

Pastry:

175g plain flour

50g icing sugar

100g butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk

1tblsp water

Frangipane:

125g butter, softened

125g caster sugar

125g ground almonds

2tblsp plain flour

1tblsp Amaretto (optional)

To finish:

5 plums, stoned and halved and then cut into quarters

 

Buttermilk Ice-Cream:

250ml double cream

4 large egg yolks

115g caster sugar

250ml buttermilk

100ml crème fraîche

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

 

METHOD:

 

Plum frangipane tart:

Pastry:

1. Sieve the flour and icing sugar together into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter and rub into the flour and icing sugar using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolk and water. Mix using a fork until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work-surface and knead briefly. Form into a ball. Wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes in order to give the pastry a chance to relax.

Frangipane:

1. Place, the butter and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and, using a hand-held electric mixer, beat together until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the eggs and then add the flour and Amaretto and mix these through also. Set aside until required.

To finish:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Roll the pastry out thinly on a clean lightly floured work surface and use to line a 20-23cm round fluted tin with removable base or an oblong tranche tin.
2. Spoon the frangipane into the pastry shell and smooth it out to the edges in an even layer with a spatula. Arrange the sliced plums on top of the frangipane.
3. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and the frangipane has risen slightly and feels spongy to the touch.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Serves 8.

 

Buttermilk Ice-Cream:

1. Place the cream in a medium-sized saucepan and bring up to boiling point and then immediately remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium sized bowl until well mixed together. Gradually pour the hot cream onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place over a low-to-moderate heat. Stir constantly (about 10 minutes) until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Add the buttermilk, crème fraîche and lemon juice and mix everything together. Refrigerate until cold and then churn in an ice-cream maker according to the instructions.

Makes 750-800ml approximately.

 

A simple Gooseberry Pie

I am a massive fan of gooseberries as is evident by the amount of recipes that I have on the blog which use them.  Often when I’m thinking of recipes to post, I try to think of new and different ways to use my favourite ingredients but, by doing this I don’t get to share some of the recipes that I have been using for years and which are tried and tested favourites.

Part of my reason for starting this blog was to collect all my favourite recipes together in one place so that my children would have an easily accessible database of the dishes and meals that I cooked for them. I genuinely hope that as they approach adulthood and start rearing their own families that they will use these recipes from time-to-time and will remember me with fondness through my love of food and cookery.

 

Many of my favourite things to eat were dishes cooked by my grandmother when I was a child and it is a huge regret of mine that I did not write them down and take more notice of where she originally got them from. Each family has their own unique history when it comes to the foods that they eat and this is something that should be cherished and preserved. Our attitudes to food, in this collective context, say so much about who we are and our attitudes to life. Many key family events happen around meals or are celebrated by coming together to eat and for me it is something of fundamental importance.

 

This is a very simple pie, made using fresh gooseberries picked from bushes growing in my garden. Gooseberries can be very tart, so I have sweetened them with a little more sugar than I would use when making an apple pie and have added nothing else. This is a straightforward, no-nonsense pie which is all about the flavour of the gooseberries.

 

The pastry is incredibly simple to make. Very cold butter is grated directly into the flour and loosely mixed through without being further worked in. A splash of water helps to bring everything together into a dough, which is then refrigerated to allow the pastry to rest before it is rolled out and used to make the pie. The resulting pastry is flaky when baked with a buttery taste which goes perfectly with the gooseberries!
 

Ingredients:

Pastry:
225g plain flour
160g cold butter (I place it in the freezer for 30 minutes)

3-4tblsp cold water

To fill the pie:

500g gooseberries, topped and tailed

75g caster sugar

To finish:

1 egg, beaten
 

Method:

Pastry:

1. Place the flour into a large mixing bowl. Using a coarse grater, grate the butter directly into the flour, mixing it gently through so that it is evenly distributed, but do not rub in. Sprinkle the water over the flour/butter mixture and mix in using a fork until it starts to come together into a dough.

2. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly and then shape into a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to give the pastry a chance to rest.

To make the pie:

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas mark 4. Lightly grease a Pyrex pie plate with some butter and place on a large baking tray. Set aside.

4. Divide the pastry in half and roll each into a circle slightly bigger than the pie plate.

5. Place one pastry circle on the buttered pie plate with any excess pastry slightly hanging over the edge.

6. Tumble the gooseberries into the centre of the pastry-lined pie plate and sprinkle over the caster sugar, leaving a 2cm pastry edge free around the outside.  Moisten the exposed edge of the pie with a little of the beaten  egg and top with the remaining circle of pastry.  Seal the pie around the edge by pressing the top and bottom pastry edges together to enclose the fruit.

7. Trim the excess pastry from around the edge of the pie, using a small sharp knife. Brush the pie with the remaining beaten egg and cut a cross in the centre of the pastry top to let steam escape as the pie bakes.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and the gooseberry juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving warm. The pie is wonderful served with some vanilla ice-cream or some lightly whipped cream.

 

Serves 8.