This is my homemade Mince Pie Recipe and it's an absolute treat. Filled with a simple mincemeat mixture of currents, sultanas, raisins, apricots, cranberries, suet, apple, some spices, and citruses, it's the most festive afternoon snack you can prepare! It's a really simple recipe with a homemade short crust pastry dough. I also provide the option to make a lemon cream cheese filling to add in the centre of the mince pies which makes them extra tasty. I'll be making these for my friends and family all season, and now you can too!
Mince pies are such a traditional British Christmas snack. As soon as November hits, I am running to the supermarket to buy them. However, as I'm sure many of you will have experienced, every year the mince pie recipes change and I find myself testing all the different ones just to find the recipe that I love the most. So, this year, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make the perfect mince pie.
A few other recipes I love making around Christmas time are my show-stopping dumpling wreath inspired by Oromo, a dumpling from the Stans, festive turkey flatbreads which are great for using leftover turkey, and my grinch dumplings, once again a great recipe to make using leftovers!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Family favourite: Mince pies are such comforting nibbles to make for friends and family. They're a total crowd-pleaser.
Simple: No need to let the dough rest or to let the mincemeat store in the fridge, you can make everything with an afternoon and end up with the most delicious Christmas treat.
Customisable: This recipe is based on how my friends, family, and I personally love mince pies. I have not added in any candied peel (orange and lemon) because I find it very bitter, but we do add in zest and juice of orange and lemon for a fresher flavour. I also don't use brandy in this recipe, but once again, I provide an option to add it in if you like it.
Ingredients
For the dough:
Butter: Salted butter is perfect for this dough. You want it cold, just out of the fridge so you can grate it.
Flour: All purpose flour is what you'll want for this recipe.
Caster sugar: golden caster sugar is a great option for mince pie short crust dough. Golden caster sugar is unrefined caster sugar, so it has a warmer colour and more caramel flavour than regular caster sugar.
For the filling:
Dried fruit: I love using a variety of dried fruit from sultanas, currants, raisins, cranberries, and apricots.
Citrus: Lemon and orange!
Apple: you can use a fresh normal apple or cooking apple, peeled and finely cubed.
Suet: Suet comes from animal fat and is typically used in recipes to add flavour and texture.
Brown sugar: to add a caramel flavour and look to our filling.
Spices: we'll be using a combination of spices from cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of salt.
For the cream cheese filling: you'll want high fat cream cheese, lemon zest, butter, vanilla essence, and icing sugar. If you prefer the taste of orange, then swap out the lemon zest for orange zest.
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: Place a pan on low heat and add in currants, sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, lemon and orange zest, chopped apple, suet, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat until the sugar and suet have melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning based on your preferences. You can optionally add in 30ml of brandy once the mincemeat has cooked by stirring it in. Leave the mixture to cool.
Step 2: Meanwhile, grate your butter into a large bowl.
Step 3: Add in your flour and using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour forming a breadcrumb-like mixture. Then, add in your golden caster sugar and combine.
Step 4: Begin forming the mixture into a dough. You'll want to combine by scrunching your hand around the mixture and compressing it. There's no need to add any water. The dough should be pretty firm and buttery.
Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling by adding the cream cheese to a bowl with the icing sugar. Whisk for a few minutes, then add in cubes of room-temperature butter, vanilla essence, and lemon zest. Whisk until everything is well combined. Taste and season accordingly.
Step 5: Now, time to divide your dough. Get your weighing scales and slice off a bit of dough to weigh 45g. Then, split that piece of dough into 30g and 15g. Repeat to create 9 mince pie dough pairs.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/ 390 Fahrenheit. Get your cupcake/mince pie baking tin and grease it. Place a ball of 30g dough into each hole. Using your fingers, press the dough up into the corners, forming a case for the mincemeat. Repeat for 9 holes.
Step 7: Place a heaped teaspoon of the mincemeat into the casing. Optionally, add a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the casing as well.
Step 8: For the lids of your mince pies, get the remaining 15g pieces of dough and using a flat bottomed glass, place a piece of dough under the glass and press down, forming a circular top for the mince pie. Place on top of the mince pie and repeat for every case.
Step 9: Brush the miscopies with egg wash and then place in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden.
Step 10: Once the mince pies are golden and cooked through, sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: Store the mince pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can top any extra cream cheese filling on top of the mince pies when serving.
Reheating: I like serving my mince pies warm, so if you've been storing them in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 140C and place them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until toasty. Then add on a bit of cream cheese filling if you'd like! Serve up and enjoy!
More recipes you might enjoy!
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Mince Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the mincemeat
- 50g currants
- 50g sultanas
- 30g raisins
- 30g dried cranberries
- 30g dried apricots
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 orange zest and juice of ½ orange
- 15g suet
- 1 apple peeled and diced
- 50g brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
For the dough
- 150g butter cold, grated
- 240g plain flour
- 70g golden caster sugar
For the cream cheese filling
- 70g cream cheese
- 70g icing sugar
- 30g butter room temperature, chopped into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 lemon zest
Extra
- 1 egg whisked for egg wash
- icing sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place a small saucepan on low heat and add in currants, sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, lemon and orange zest, chopped apple, suet, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, and a pinch of salt (all of your mincemeat ingredients). Cook for 10 minutes on low heat until the sugar and suet have melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning based on your preferences. You can optionally add in 30ml of brandy once the mincemeat has cooked by stirring it in. Leave the mixture to cool.
- Meanwhile, grate your butter into a large bowl.
- Add in your flour and using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour forming a breadcrumb-like mixture. Then, add in your golden caster sugar and combine (scroll further up this blog post to see step by step photos).
- Begin forming the mixture into a dough. You'll want to combine by scrunching your hand around the mixture and compressing it. There's no need to add any water. The dough should be pretty firm and buttery.
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling by adding the cream cheese to a bowl with the icing sugar. Whisk for a few minutes, then add in cubes of room-temperature butter, vanilla essence, and lemon zest. Whisk until everything is well combined. Taste and season accordingly.
- Now, time to divide your dough. Get your weighing scales and slice off a bit of dough to weigh 45g. Then, split that piece of dough into 30g and 15g. Repeat to create 9 mince pie dough pairs.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/ 390 Fahrenheit. Get your cupcake/mince pie baking tin and grease it with a bit of butter. Place a ball of 30g dough into each hole. Using your fingers, press the dough up into the corners, forming a case for the mincemeat. Repeat for 9 holes.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of the mincemeat into the casing. Optionally, add a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the casing as well.
- For the lids of your mince pies, get the remaining 15g pieces of dough from your pairs and using a flat bottomed glass, place a piece of dough under the glass and press down, forming a circular top for the mince pie. Place on top of the mince pie and repeat for every case.
- Brush the mince pies with egg wash and then place in the oven for 18 minutes until lightly golden.
- Once the mince pies are golden and cooked through, sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!
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