Christmas just isn’t Christmas without mince pies, but if you have to eat a gluten-free diet, you might be wary of festive foods. Why should gluten-free eaters miss out on the fun bits of Christmas? With this gluten-free mince pie recipe, you can enjoy a traditional treat which is also free from nuts and wheat.
Prep time: 15 minutes the day before, 60 minutes on the day
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 375g gluten-free flour *
- A pinch xanthan gum *
- 150g butter
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 100g sultanas *
- 100g raisins *
- 100g currants *
- 50g dried cherries * (not glace cherries)
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg *
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon *
- 1 tsp ground ginger *
- 200g Bramley apples, cored and chopped with the peel on
- 1 lemon, finely chopped with the peel on
- 1 orange, finely chopped with the peel on
- 120ml brandy
Method
Step 1
Puree the apple, lemon, and orange in a food processor. Mix all the dried fruits with the spices before adding the pureed fruit and the brandy. Mix together, cover and leave for at least two hours to soak.
Step 2
To make the dough, place the butter and flour in a bowl and mix by hand until it forms crumbs. Add 8-10 tablespoons of cold water and combine to form a dough.
Step 3
Let the dough chill in the fridge while you grease and flour your mince pie tins - remember to use gluten free flour for this step, too!
Step 4
Roll the pastry out to a thickness of about 5mm. Cut circles with a cutter slightly larger than the size of each pie tin and line your mince pie tins with them.
Step 5
Spoon the mince pie mixture into each pie then cut pastry lids and put them on top of each pie. Wet the edges of the dough and pinch it together with your fingers to form a seal.
Beat the egg and brush egg glaze onto each pie lid.
Step 6
Bake the mince pies for around 20 minutes at 180˚C until they are golden brown and the pastry is cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave them in the tins to cool slightly before transferring them to a rack.
Step 7
Store them in an airtight container until you want to eat them. Serve alone or with a blob of cream. We hope you and your gluten-free friends enjoy them!