Mince pies (gluten free, dairy free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, refined sugar free + a nut free option)

Ingredients

For the pastry:

3/4 cup dairy free butter

1 1/2 cup gluten free plain flour

1 cup ground almonds (sub for more gluten free flour if intolerant to nuts)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 clementine or 1/2 an orange finely zested

Pinch of salt.

For the mincemeat:

2 apples (peeled, finely chopped or grated)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups of fresh orange juice

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut sugar

Spices to suit your tastes:

I use -

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method:

For the pastry, add the butter, flour and ground almonds to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the remaining pastry ingredients plus 2 tbsp of water and mix until it forms a smooth ball of dough.

Wrap in clingfilm and pop into the fridge for at least 30 mins. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°c.

Add all the mincemeat ingredients to a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasional until you’re left with a thick, syrupy mixture and the beautiful smell of Christmas spices are filling the air. Set aside to cool slightly.

Roll out the pastry between two sheets of greaseproof paper until it’s about 1/2 cm thick. Cut out approx 8-10 rounds using a round or fluted cookie cutter. Re-roll the remaining pastry and cut 8- 10 stars to make a lid for the pies.

Press the rounds into a greased muffin/ cupcake tin (alternatively you can use little mince pie/cupcake cases), don’t panic if you get any little tears just gently press the pastry back together in the tin and then pierce the base of each pastry case with a fork. 

Put approx 1 tbsp of the mincemeat mixture into each pastry case.

Place the stars on top of the mincemeat filling, brush with dairy free milk and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Wait until cooled before you take them out of the muffin tin.

If you have any mincemeat left over, store it in the fridge and add it to your porridge for a festive start to the day.