Mince pies are for the Christmas period, or, … even longer perhaps.
The ingredients stem from the 13th Century when returning Crusaders brought back Middle-East recipes that contained meats, fruits and spices. These contained Christian symbolism, representing gifts borne by the Magi to the baby Jesus. Later, at the time of the English Civil War, Mince pies, or Christmas pies as they were then known, were associated with supposed Catholic ‘idolatry’ and were frowned upon by the Protestant authorities.
The earliest type of Mince pie was called a Chevette, and which contained chopped meat, or fish on feast days, mixed with hard-boiled eggs and ginger. These were either baked or fried. Other early Mince pie names were: Mutton pie; Shrid pie; and Christmas pie. In Tudor times, Shrid pies were formed from shredded meat, suet and dried fruit. In the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance times it was usual to eke out the meat content of the pie with dried fruit, and it became a Christmas speciality. In fact, the reduction of meat content was a slow and steady process through the years to date. In fact, from the mid-17th Century, the beef was either partially or completely replaced by suet. In Victorian times the recipe became sweeter and the size of the pie became smaller. In fact, it wasn’t until the 19th Century that the distinction between mincemeat and mince, or chopped meat into shreds, was made. This was when the meat began disappearing from the recipe resulting in the Mince pies as we know them today.
Ingredients (pastry):
Gluten-free flour mix* 370g (weight is crucial to success (and Cup weight can vary))
Gum Arabic 2tsp
Salt 1/4tsp
Sugar 55g
Butter 205g (room temp, cut in pieces)
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 1/2tsp (7ml)
Egg (slightly beaten) 100g (approx. 2 extra large – if necessary, add from another egg to make up weight)
Water (cold, if required) 5 – 10ml (1 – 2tsp)
Mincemeat** /*** 1 generously heaped tsp per tartlet
Egg wash as required (1extra large egg, 1tsp hemp milk, whisked together)
*The Gluten-Free pastry flour mix is: Brown Rice Flour 390g, Sweet Rice Flour 150g, Potato Starch 35g, Tapioca Starch 115g, Arrowroot powder 70g. A total weight of 760g
Method: (makes 16 individual mince-pies)
Sift flour, add Gum Arabic and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
In a mixer bowl cream butter and salt, at a medium speed for ½ – 1 min.
Scrape down sides and bottom of mixer bowl; add sugar and combine at low speed for ½ - 1 min.
Add 50g flour, and combine at low speed.
Add Apple cider vinegar; gradually add slightly beaten eggs, and then 50g flour, beating at a low speed until the mixture comes together.
Gradually add rest of the flour, occasionally stopping the machine to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl, restart and mix until the dough comes together (and if necessary, add 1 – 2tsp water, and allow time to combine) – it should look shiny (avoid a wet or sticky surface – if this is the case add a little flour (allowing time to come together, to combine)).
Lay a piece of cling film/plastic wrap on a pastry board, place the dough on top of it, press into a ½in (13mm) thick rectangle and cover with cling film/plastic wrap.
Chill pastry dough in a refrigerator for 30 mins, or overnight.
Wrap the pastry board with wax paper, or parchment paper, dust evenly and lightly with flour, along with dusting the rolling pin.
Cut pastry in half (place the other half back in the refrigerator); dust hands with flour; then roll the pastry three times in one direction, evenly, gently and briskly (i.e., confidently); rotate the pastry a ¼ turn (ensuring that the pastry is not stuck to the board, lift with a spatula and re-flour if necessary); and repeat; and repeat until the pastry is 3mm thick.
Cut pie bases with a pastry cutter to fit a 6 or 12 shallow holed baking tray, or mince pie tray (approx. 3in, 7.5cm) and cut pie lids to fit (for lids cut a cross in the middle and prick in two places either side with a fork).
The scraps can be rolled up and re-rolled - the pastry is very forgiving.
Place cut bases in holes and tap into sides and corners, gently, prick pastry base if necessary (if the pastry tears, smooth it over), spoon mincemeat into base (avoid overfilling as the suet will melt on cooking and may seep out); brush edges with egg wash (or hemp milk, or water); fit lid and press edges gently together with base; and then brush lids with egg wash.
Preheat oven at 200C (400F) for 45 mins.
Place pie tray in a refrigerator for 30 mins before baking (for the pastry to harden)
Remove the pie tray from the refrigerator; place it in the middle of the oven and bake the mince pies for 17mins (this is for an electric fan oven - for other ovens it may be necessary to vary this time).
Remove pie tray from the oven and cool for 20 – 30 mins.
Repeat for the other half of the pastry (it may be necessary to gently knock the pastry several times with the rolling pin before rolling the pastry out (or it may crack on rolling – if it does, just pinch it together)).
Enjoy! (for Christmas time, you may want to eat it with Brandy butter, or even custard).
Note that this image is a stock photo, and not of the individual mincemeat pies made with the above recipe.
**MinceMEAT (based on a recipe first recorded in the 19th Century)
Ingredients and method:
Mix in a large bowl in the order given below
Mashed baked apples 575g
(quarter apples, de-core, and bake in oven at 180C (350F) for 30mins; remove from oven cool, and remove skins)
Lemon, zest and juice of 2
Orange, juice of 2
Beef suet (chopped) 500g
Lean rump steak (minced) 250g (the sugar and brandy will keep it perfectly preserved)
Salt 1/4tsp
Candied mixed peel
(chopped) 110g
Raisins (seedless) 500g
Sultanas 450g
Dark sugar 500g
Nutmeg (grated) ½
Brandy 4tbsp
Orange liqueur 7tbsp
Total (approx.) 3350g
Spoon the mixture into jars, pressing down to compact, add a wax paper seal on top to keep air out, close the jar, and store the jars, covered, in a cool place for two weeks before using.
***Mincemeat (meat free)
Ingredients (and mixing order):
Mix in a large bowl in the order given below
Mashed baked apples 575g (quarter apples, de-core, and bake in oven at 180C (350F) for 30mins; remove from oven cool, and remove skins)
Lemon, zest and juice of 2
Orange, juice of 2
Beef suet (chopped) 500g
Salt 1/4tsp
Candied mixed peel (chopped) 110g
Raisins (seedless) 250g
Sultanas 450g
Dark sugar 500g
Nutmeg (grated) ½
Brandy 2tbsp
Orange liqueur 2tbsp
Total (approx.) 2390g
Spoon the mixture into jars, pressing down to compact, add a wax paper seal on top to keep air out, close the jar, and store the jars, covered, in a cool place for two weeks before using
The ingredients stem from the 13th Century when returning Crusaders brought back Middle-East recipes that contained meats, fruits and spices. These contained Christian symbolism, representing gifts borne by the Magi to the baby Jesus. Later, at the time of the English Civil War, Mince pies, or Christmas pies as they were then known, were associated with supposed Catholic ‘idolatry’ and were frowned upon by the Protestant authorities.
The earliest type of Mince pie was called a Chevette, and which contained chopped meat, or fish on feast days, mixed with hard-boiled eggs and ginger. These were either baked or fried. Other early Mince pie names were: Mutton pie; Shrid pie; and Christmas pie. In Tudor times, Shrid pies were formed from shredded meat, suet and dried fruit. In the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance times it was usual to eke out the meat content of the pie with dried fruit, and it became a Christmas speciality. In fact, the reduction of meat content was a slow and steady process through the years to date. In fact, from the mid-17th Century, the beef was either partially or completely replaced by suet. In Victorian times the recipe became sweeter and the size of the pie became smaller. In fact, it wasn’t until the 19th Century that the distinction between mincemeat and mince, or chopped meat into shreds, was made. This was when the meat began disappearing from the recipe resulting in the Mince pies as we know them today.
Ingredients (pastry):
Gluten-free flour mix* 370g (weight is crucial to success (and Cup weight can vary))
Gum Arabic 2tsp
Salt 1/4tsp
Sugar 55g
Butter 205g (room temp, cut in pieces)
Apple Cider Vinegar 1 1/2tsp (7ml)
Egg (slightly beaten) 100g (approx. 2 extra large – if necessary, add from another egg to make up weight)
Water (cold, if required) 5 – 10ml (1 – 2tsp)
Mincemeat** /*** 1 generously heaped tsp per tartlet
Egg wash as required (1extra large egg, 1tsp hemp milk, whisked together)
*The Gluten-Free pastry flour mix is: Brown Rice Flour 390g, Sweet Rice Flour 150g, Potato Starch 35g, Tapioca Starch 115g, Arrowroot powder 70g. A total weight of 760g
Method: (makes 16 individual mince-pies)
Sift flour, add Gum Arabic and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
In a mixer bowl cream butter and salt, at a medium speed for ½ – 1 min.
Scrape down sides and bottom of mixer bowl; add sugar and combine at low speed for ½ - 1 min.
Add 50g flour, and combine at low speed.
Add Apple cider vinegar; gradually add slightly beaten eggs, and then 50g flour, beating at a low speed until the mixture comes together.
Gradually add rest of the flour, occasionally stopping the machine to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl, restart and mix until the dough comes together (and if necessary, add 1 – 2tsp water, and allow time to combine) – it should look shiny (avoid a wet or sticky surface – if this is the case add a little flour (allowing time to come together, to combine)).
Lay a piece of cling film/plastic wrap on a pastry board, place the dough on top of it, press into a ½in (13mm) thick rectangle and cover with cling film/plastic wrap.
Chill pastry dough in a refrigerator for 30 mins, or overnight.
Wrap the pastry board with wax paper, or parchment paper, dust evenly and lightly with flour, along with dusting the rolling pin.
Cut pastry in half (place the other half back in the refrigerator); dust hands with flour; then roll the pastry three times in one direction, evenly, gently and briskly (i.e., confidently); rotate the pastry a ¼ turn (ensuring that the pastry is not stuck to the board, lift with a spatula and re-flour if necessary); and repeat; and repeat until the pastry is 3mm thick.
Cut pie bases with a pastry cutter to fit a 6 or 12 shallow holed baking tray, or mince pie tray (approx. 3in, 7.5cm) and cut pie lids to fit (for lids cut a cross in the middle and prick in two places either side with a fork).
The scraps can be rolled up and re-rolled - the pastry is very forgiving.
Place cut bases in holes and tap into sides and corners, gently, prick pastry base if necessary (if the pastry tears, smooth it over), spoon mincemeat into base (avoid overfilling as the suet will melt on cooking and may seep out); brush edges with egg wash (or hemp milk, or water); fit lid and press edges gently together with base; and then brush lids with egg wash.
Preheat oven at 200C (400F) for 45 mins.
Place pie tray in a refrigerator for 30 mins before baking (for the pastry to harden)
Remove the pie tray from the refrigerator; place it in the middle of the oven and bake the mince pies for 17mins (this is for an electric fan oven - for other ovens it may be necessary to vary this time).
Remove pie tray from the oven and cool for 20 – 30 mins.
Repeat for the other half of the pastry (it may be necessary to gently knock the pastry several times with the rolling pin before rolling the pastry out (or it may crack on rolling – if it does, just pinch it together)).
Enjoy! (for Christmas time, you may want to eat it with Brandy butter, or even custard).
Note that this image is a stock photo, and not of the individual mincemeat pies made with the above recipe.
**MinceMEAT (based on a recipe first recorded in the 19th Century)
Ingredients and method:
Mix in a large bowl in the order given below
Mashed baked apples 575g
(quarter apples, de-core, and bake in oven at 180C (350F) for 30mins; remove from oven cool, and remove skins)
Lemon, zest and juice of 2
Orange, juice of 2
Beef suet (chopped) 500g
Lean rump steak (minced) 250g (the sugar and brandy will keep it perfectly preserved)
Salt 1/4tsp
Candied mixed peel
(chopped) 110g
Raisins (seedless) 500g
Sultanas 450g
Dark sugar 500g
Nutmeg (grated) ½
Brandy 4tbsp
Orange liqueur 7tbsp
Total (approx.) 3350g
Spoon the mixture into jars, pressing down to compact, add a wax paper seal on top to keep air out, close the jar, and store the jars, covered, in a cool place for two weeks before using.
***Mincemeat (meat free)
Ingredients (and mixing order):
Mix in a large bowl in the order given below
Mashed baked apples 575g (quarter apples, de-core, and bake in oven at 180C (350F) for 30mins; remove from oven cool, and remove skins)
Lemon, zest and juice of 2
Orange, juice of 2
Beef suet (chopped) 500g
Salt 1/4tsp
Candied mixed peel (chopped) 110g
Raisins (seedless) 250g
Sultanas 450g
Dark sugar 500g
Nutmeg (grated) ½
Brandy 2tbsp
Orange liqueur 2tbsp
Total (approx.) 2390g
Spoon the mixture into jars, pressing down to compact, add a wax paper seal on top to keep air out, close the jar, and store the jars, covered, in a cool place for two weeks before using
