Gingerbread Mince Pies

Name: Gingerbread Mince Pies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 67 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 375 g plain flour; 225 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 1 pinch salt; 4 tbsp cold water; 500 g vegetarian mincemeat; 1 orange orange zest; 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and grated; 2 tbsp whole milk; 2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting

These festive gingerbread mince pies pair warmly spiced shortcrust pastry with a bright, fruity mincemeat filling. Orange zest and grated apple lighten the richness, while a dusting of icing sugar gives them a classic Christmas finish.

Servings12 Portions

Prep Time45 Mins

Cook Time22 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

plain flour
375 g
cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
225 g
icing sugar
0.5 tbsp
ground ginger
1 tbsp
ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp
freshly grated nutmeg
0.5 tsp
salt
1 pinch
cold water
4 tbsp
vegetarian mincemeat
500 g
orange zest
1 orange
Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1
whole milk
2 tbsp
icing sugar, for dusting
2 tbsp

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the pastry: add the flour, icing sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing just until the dough begins to clump together.

Turn the dough out and divide it into two portions: one-third for the lids and two-thirds for the bases. Flatten each portion into a disc, wrap well, and chill for 30 minutes so the pastry firms up and rolls cleanly.

Stir the vegetarian mincemeat, orange zest, and grated Granny Smith apple together in a bowl. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Roll the larger pastry disc on a lightly floured surface to 3-4 mm thick, then cut out 12 rounds with a 10 cm cutter. Press the rounds into a 12-hole muffin tin and divide the filling evenly among them.

Brush the pastry rims lightly with milk. Roll the smaller pastry disc to the same thickness and cut out 12 rounds with an 8 cm cutter. Place them over the filling, press the edges gently to seal, and decorate with small pastry shapes cut from any scraps if desired.