Mini Mincemeat Pies Recipes

MINI MEAT PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Cut pastry into 48 circles if making traditional pies, or 24 if making uncovered pies using a 7 cm round cutter.
• Press 24 circles into two lightly greased 12-hole patty tins.
• To make filling, heat oil in heavy-based pan, add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until onion is soft.
• Add mince and stir over high heat for 5 minutes or until well browned and all liquid has evaporated; using a fork to break up any lumps of mince.
• Add flour, stir until combined then cook over medium heat for 1 minutes.
• Add stock, sauces and herbs and stir over the heat until boiling.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.
• Stir occasionally then allow to cool.
• Divide filling among pastry circles.
• Top each with two half slices of tomato and sprinkle with oregano.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and crisp.
• For traditional pies, place the remaining pastry rounds over the tomato and oregano topping and seal the edges with beaten egg before baking.
• Serve hot.

MINIATURE MINCEMEAT PIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, 6 tablespoons of the confectioner's sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons orange peel and salt in processor. Add the butter and pulse until soft and crumbly.
• Whisk egg yolk and 2 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl. Add to processor; blend until moist clumps form, adding more juice by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes.
• Butter eighteen mini muffin cups. Mix mincemeat, ginger, cinnamon, remaining 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and peel in small bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 17-inch round.
• Using 2 1/2-in cookie cutter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Press 1 round into each muffin cup, smoothing it against the bottom and up the sides. Reroll the dough and cut out 18 more dough rounds with a 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter. Heap 1 teaspoon mincemeat mixture in each muffin cup.
• Brush beaten egg on edges of the smaller dough rounds. Press one round glaze side down on each muffin cup, sealling around edges.
• Cut small X in center of each pie. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover pies and remaining glaze separately and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F Brush pie tops with remaining egg. Bake until crusts are golden, about 20 minutes. Cut around pies with a paring knife to loosen; turn out onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MINI MINCE PIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt.
• Cut butter into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry blender until the flour has the consistency of sand and the butter is evenly distributed.
• Add 6-7 Tbsp of water slowly and mix with fork until the dough clumps together around the fork. It should clean the edges of the bowl and nearly come together on its own. All it should need is a gentle press together to come into a clean ball.
• Roll out the crust on a lightly floured surface to roughly 1/8 inch thick.
• Preheat your oven to 350F.
• Cut the rolled crust into small circles that fit nicely into your mini muffin tin. (We used roughly 2 ¼ - 2 ½ inch circles.) Re-roll the crust dough as necessary to fill 24 mini muffin tins.
• Spoon roughly 1 Tbsp of mincemeat into each crust shell.
• Roll out the leftover crust and use a cookie cutter to cut out a star or other shape for the top crust.
• Bake the mini mince pies for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
• Remove the pies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Store the mini mince pies in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks on the counter.

EASY PEASY MINI MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Grease the holes of 2 cupcake trays (24 holes in total), using a little butter on some baking paper. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
• Place the flour in the bowl (you can sieve it if you like, but I never bother) and add the cubes of cold butter. Rub the butter and flour between your fingers (as if you are trying to rub the flour into the butter) until it resembles breadcrumbs. (See Note 1.)
• Stir in a tablespoon of cold water and stir into the butter/flour mixture thoroughly. Add another tablespoon of cold water and stir in thoroughly. Repeat this process until the mixture just starts to come together. I usually find this happens after about 6-8 tablespoons but it does vary. Don't add too much water!
• As soon as your pastry starts coming together, stop adding water and use your hands to squish the pastry together into a ball.
• Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and pop your ball of pastry on top. Roll your pastry out as thin as it will go. (It might be easier, depending on the size if your work surface, to split the pastry into 2 balls and do them 1 at a time.)
• Using a circle shaped cutter, cut out 24 circles and place them into the greased holes of you cupcake trays.
• Put 1 teaspoonful of mincemeat in the centre of each circle.
• Squish together the pastry, roll it into a ball and roll out thinly again. This time cut out 24 stars, using your star shaped cutter, Place each star on top of the mincemeat, roughly in the centre (this is a bit hit and miss with children!) and press down slightly so the star sticks.
• Using a pastry brush, brush over a little milk. (Not strictly necessary, but it makes the mince pies go a more golden colour.)
• Put the mince pies in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the mincemeat is bubbling and the pastry is golden on top.
• Take your mince pies out of the cupcake tin and place them on a wire rack to cool - I find it easiest to lever the mince pies out with a dessert spoon - take care not to burn yourself as they will be super-hot!
• While the mince pies are still warm, put a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar into a sieve and dust the icing sugar over the mince pies. (You can use an icing sugar dredger if you prefer.)
• The mince pies can be eaten warm or cold, on their own or with cream or custard.
• When the mince pies are completely cool they can be stored in a cake tin, or other air tight container... that is if there are any left!

MINI MINCEMEAT PIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons orange peel and salt in processor. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and 2 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl. Add to processor; blend until moist clumps form, adding more juice by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Chill 30 minutes.
• Butter eighteen 1 3/4-inch-diameter mini muffin cups. Mix mincemeat, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, remaining 4 tablespoons powdered sugar and 3/4 teaspoon peel in small bowl. Roll out dough on floured surface to 17-inch round. Using 2 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Press 1 round into bottom and up sides of each muffin cup. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 18 more dough rounds (reroll dough if necessary). Fill crust in each muffin cup with 1 heaping teaspoon filling. Brush edges of smaller dough rounds with some of egg glaze. Place 1 round atop filling in each muffin cup, glazed side down, pressing dough edges to seal. Cut small X in center of each pie. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover pies and remaining glaze separately and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush pies with remaining egg glaze. Bake until crusts are golden, about 20 minutes. Using small knife, cut around pies to loosen; turn out onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MINCE PIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., For filling, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apples, apricot, brown sugar, raisins, apple juice, vinegar, orange zest and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until apples are tender, 15-17 minutes. Stir in rum. Remove from heat; cool slightly., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut 20 circles with a floured 2-3/4-in. round biscuit cutter. Top half the circles with 1 tablespoon filling. Top with remaining circles; press edges with a fork to seal. Cut slits in top. Brush tops with egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

MINI ORANGE MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to mix in the butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the orange zest. Sprinkle with ice water, and gather dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out approximately 18 (3 inch) diameter circles, and 18 (2 inch) circles, rerolling dough as needed.
• Line muffin cups or tart tins using the 3 inch pastry circles. Fill each pastry cup with about 1 tablespoon of mincemeat filling. Top with 2 inch pastry circles, pinching circles together to seal the edges. Brush the top of each pie with egg.
• Bake pies in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly on wire racks. Dust with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar just before serving.

MINI MINCEMEAT CRUMBLE PIES

Steps:

• Make the mincemeat by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes so the fruit absorbs some of the liquid. Make the pastry in a large bowl or food processor by blending the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and orange zest and then 2 tbsp water. Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding a few more drops of water if it feels a little dry. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4.
• Roll out half the pastry (keep the other half wrapped in the fridge) on a lightly floured surface. You want the pastry to be very thin, so it is crisp when cooked. Cut out 12 circles of pastry with a plain 6cm cutter (you will need to re-roll the pastry a couple of times) and use to line a 12-hole, non-stick mini muffin tin. It is quite a soft pastry, so any little gaps that form as you are lining the holes can easily be patched up. Chill while you make the topping.
• In a small bowl, make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and almonds. With a teaspoon, fill each pastry case with mincemeat, gently pressing it down to leave room for the topping. Sprinkle the topping over each pie, place the tin on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
• Leave the pies to cool in the tin before taking them out carefully. They are fragile when hot, so use a small knife to help lift them out. Unless you have two mini muffin tins, repeat the process with the second batch of pastry, filling and topping. Eat the mini mince pies warm or cold, lightly dusted with icing sugar.

MINCEMEAT HAND PIES

Steps:

• Make the mincemeat: Stir fruits, candied peels, zests and juices, sugar, salt, spices, and 2 tablespoons water in a medium stockpot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in Cognac; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let mixture stand until cool. Mincemeat can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut into twenty-four 4-inch squares, gathering together scraps and rerolling if needed. Place 1 tablespoon mincemeat in 1 corner of each square. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold each in half to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pierce tops with tines of a fork. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Brush tops with beaten egg; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Transfer pies and parchment to a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, with brandy butter.

MINIATURE MEAT PIES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in chili sauce and soup mix; set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the flour, sesame seeds if desired, and salt. Cut in shortening and cheese until crumbly. Combine milk and vinegar; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. , Divide dough in half; roll out to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a lightly floured 2-1/2-in. round cutter. Place half of the circles 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; top each with a rounded tablespoonful of beef mixture. Top with remaining circles. Moisten edges with water and press with a fork to seal. Cut a slit in the top of each. , Bake at 425° until golden brown, 12-16 minutes. Serve immediately., Freeze option: Freeze cooled pies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake, from frozen, on an ungreased baking sheet at 425° until heated through, 14-16 minutes.