Fruit Mince Pies
Is it the pastry or the fruit mince that makes a Fruit Mince Pie great? We think it is both that is why we have collated a divine selection of dried fruit soaked in Tawny port to make a boozy and sweet Gluten Free Fruit Mince. Soak the fruit for 3 days and encase it in our buttery Gluten Free Sweet Pastry, and there you have it.
Gluten Free · Nut Free · Refined Sugar Free
Makes 12
Ingredients
Pastry
185g / 1¼ cups Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour
40g / ⅓ cup powdered coconut sugar (see note)
½ teaspoon psyllium husk powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
90g cold butter
1 egg
½ teaspoon flaxmeal
50ml / 2½ tablespoons cold water
Filling
360g fruit mince (see below for ingredients and across for recipe)
2 teaspoons cornflour
2 teaspoons water
Gluten Free Fruit Mince
Refined Sugar Free Dairy Free Nut Free Vegan
Makes 1½ kg
375 g sultanas
125g raisins, chopped
85g dates, chopped
85g seedless prunes, chopped
85g dried cranberries
40g dried apricots, diced
40g dried pineapple, diced
40g dried figs, diced
40g dried mixed peel
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
110g / ⅓ cup rice malt syrup
80g / ¼ cup coconut syrup
85g / ¼ cup sugar free fig jam
3 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons mixed spice
120mls / ½ cup Tawny Port
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut two large pieces of baking paper and 12 small 3cm squares. Grease the bases (so the paper stays in place) of a 12 hole non-stick pie pan and place a small square of baking paper in each.
In a food processor add Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour, powdered coconut sugar, psyllium husk powder and salt and pulse to whisk together.
Chop the butter into six pieces and add to processor. Combine til butter is reduced to a crumbly texture with the flour. Add the flaxmeal to the water in a small jug and whisk together then add the egg and whisk again. With the motor running, slowly pour this into the processor. The mix will form a dough ball pretty quickly.
Flour your hands and take out the dough, scraping any mix from the sides and base. Roll into a well formed ball and dust it lightly with flour before patting out to a flat disc.
Wrap and rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Flour two circular pastry cutters measuring 7.5cm diameter for the bases and 6cm for the tops of the fruit mince pies. Your measurements may vary depending on the size of your pans.
Remove dough from the fridge and place it on one of the large pieces of baking paper that has been lightly floured. Top with the second piece of lightly floured baking paper and roll to a large circle that allows 11 pastry bases to be cut from the outer edge. Cut these, plus one more from the remaining pastry. Carefully lift these into the pie pan. There is no need to press down into the base but gently push the top edge of pastry below the rim of the hole.
Roll the pastry again between the baking paper to thin out a little and cut the tops using the smaller cutter. You will need to collect the scraps of dough and roll out again to get 12 tops in total.
Gently spoon 1 tablespoon (30g) of filling into each pastry case. Mix the cornflour and water and using a pastry brush, coat the top edges of the pastry cases. It’s best to do this on four at a time and then put the tops on, pressing down gently to stick them together.
When all the tops are on, brush each pie well with the cornflour mix.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastry tops are crisp and very slightly golden. Cool in the pie pans on a rack. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each pie and remove from the pan. Dust with icing sugar and store in an airtight container for a few days.
Note
Powdered coconut sugar is easily made from coconut sugar whizzed in a high speed blender until fine.
Gluten Free Fruit Mince
Sterilise a large capacity jar or bucket that allows room to stir the mix.
The raisins, dates and prunes can be chopped together in a food processor, being careful not to over process.
Dice the apricots and pineapple by hand, though diced dried pineapple is available in packets.
Add the grated apple to the sultanas, raisins, dates, prunes, cranberries, apricots, pineapple, figs and mixed peel and mix well.
Heat the rice malt syrup and coconut syrup, enough to become a thinner consistency, then stir in the jam, orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, mixed spice and port.
Whisk together to mix well then stir into the fruit with a large wooden spoon.
Put the lid on the jar or bucket and store in a cool place for at least a few days before using and ideally a month.
Stir every day for the first three days to distribute the liquids. It will have a lovely thick texture and bind together well when ready for use. The longer it sits the better the taste.
Enough for over 4 dozen Fruit Mince Pies.
Can be stored in smaller sterilised jars in the pantry once ready to use.