Orange Almond Crumble Christmas Mince Pies Recipes

ORANGE PASTRY MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. In a food processor, whizz together the flour, icing sugar and butter until they form fine crumbs (or rub in with your fingers). With the blades running, add the zest, then 3 tbsp orange juice. Process for a few secs until the mixture forms clumps. If you need to, add a few extra tsps orange juice to bring the pastry together.
• Tip onto a very lightly floured surface, knead briefly until smooth, then chill in the fridge for 30 mins or until firm. The pastry can be made up to 3 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Lightly dust the work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry to approx £1 coin thickness. Cut out 12 x 8cm rounds with a fluted cutter and press into a 12-hole non-stick bun tin. Re-roll the trimmings to the same thickness and stamp out 12 x 5cm rounds for the tops. Spoon about 1 tbsp mincemeat into each base and press on the tops.
• Brush the tops with the egg, then bake for 15-20 mins until golden and crisp. Cool for a few mins, then lever out of the tins with a table knife and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Warm gently to serve, dusted with sifted icing sugar, if you like.

ORANGE, CRANBERRY & ALMOND MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Whizz the butter, flour and ground almonds in a food processor until the butter has disappeared. Pulse in the sugar and half the orange zest. Add the milk and keep whizzing until a rough dough comes together. Tip onto the work surface, press together and shape into a smooth disc, kneading once or twice if you need to. Chill for 15 mins. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled, or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Scatter a little flour onto the work surface. Roll out the dough to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Using an 8cm cutter, stamp out 24 circles and use to line the holes of 2 x 12-hole bun tins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix cranberries and mincemeat, then spoon into cases. Scatter each pie with flaked almonds. Can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake the pies for 18-20 mins until the pastry and almonds are golden. When ready to serve, dust with the tiniest bit of icing sugar. Stir 2 tsp icing sugar and remaining zest into the crème fraîche, then dollop onto each pie to serve.

ORANGE AND ALMOND CRUMBLE CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES

Steps:

• 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 180C/375F/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 cup cake or 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 or until the topping is golden.
• 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 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 and served with whipped cream or brandy butter.

EASY MINCE PIES WITH CRUNCHY CRUMBLE TOPS

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit and jam in a small pan, heat until melted together, then stir in the brandy and cool. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• For the pastry, set aside 2 tbsp flour and put the rest plus the butter in a food processor. Whizz until there are no lumps of butter. Pulse in the egg yolk, followed by a tbsp of water at a time, until the dough comes together - you'll probably need 2 tbsp. (If you don't have a food processor, rub butter into the flour with your fingers, then stir in the yolk and water with a round-bladed knife.) Use the reserved flour to roll out the pastry to just over the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp circles with an 8cm cutter and press into holes of a bun tin - you should get 15 from re-rolling the trimmings.
• Divide the fruit amongst the pies, then bake for 5 mins while you rub together all the crumble ingredients with your fingers. Top each pie with crumble, then return to the oven for 15 mins until pastry and crumble are golden. Eat warm or cold dusted with icing sugar.

ALMOND-TOPPED MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large bowl with 1/4 tsp salt. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mix looks like fine crumbs.
• Stir in the sugar, then slowly pour in the egg, stirring with a cutlery knife as you go to avoid any overly wet or dry patches. Scrunch to a dough with your hands, then knead briefly until smooth. Alternatively, pulse together the butter, flour and salt in a processor, then add the sugar and egg. Shape into 2 discs, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins (if you have time).
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Mix the prunes and Armagnac into the mincemeat and set aside. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until 3mm thick, cut into circles with a 7.5cm or 8cm round plain cutter and gently press into 2 x 12-hole shallow, non-stick bun tins.
• For the topping, beat together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon, then add the flour, ground almonds, eggs, almond extract and a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth.
• Spoon the mincemeat into the tin (about 1 dessertspoon into each). Spoon over the topping, then smooth it to the edges of the pastry with a palette knife. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Can now be frozen for up to 1 month.
• Bake for 25 mins from room temperature (or 30 mins from frozen) until the pies are golden, risen and the pastry feels firm at the sides. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before transferring to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Can be stored in an airtight tin for up to 3 days once cold.

CRUMBLED TOP MINCE PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry tip the flour into a large bowl and rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and the satsuma zest.
• Spoon out 4 tbsp of the pastry mixture and set aside. Add approximately 4 tbsp of the juice from the satsumas to the main pastry mix to make a fairly soft dough, kneading gently until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Lightly flour a surface and roll out the pastry to a £1 coin thickness. Using a 9cm fluted cutter, stamp out 12 circles of pastry. Gently press these into individual tartlet tins, the pastry should just protrude above the tins to allow for shrinkage when cooked. Spoon the mincemeat into the pastry cases being careful not to overfill.
• Sprinkle the pastry crumble mix over the mincemeat to cover lightly, top with the flaked almonds and drizzle over the stem ginger syrup. At this stage you can cover them with cling film and freeze the whole tray ready for baking.
• When you're ready to bake the mince pies, heat the over to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Remove the cling film from the tray and bake the mince pies straight from the freezer for 25 mins until golden and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack and serve dusted with icing sugar. Bake unfrozen pies for 18-20 mins.

CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES

Steps:

• QUICK FRUIT MINCEMEAT:.
• Combine all ingredients and set aside for flavours to infuse.
• PASTRY:.
• Sift flour, cornflour, and icing sugar.
• Rub in the butter.
• Beat egg and vanilla together then add, mixing well.
• Knead into a ball without overhandling the pastry.
• Roll out thinly on a floured board and cut into 3" rounds.
• Reroll offcuts until all the pastry is used.
• Place rounds in a patty pan, place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the middle of each pastry round and cover with second pastry round.
• Press edges together with the prongs of a fork and prick each top twice.
• Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until pale gold.
• Leave to cool slightly before removing to cooking rack.
• Dust lightly with icing sugar.
• COOKS NOTE - If you don't have a patty pan, place the pies on a cookie sheet rather than in a muffin tray, which is too deep.

ORANGE ALMOND CRUMBLE CHRISTMAS MINCE PIES

Steps:

• 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 the orange zest and then 2 tablespoons water. Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding a few drops of water if necessary, if it feel dry.
• Preheat oven to 375°F Roll out 1/2 of the pastry (keep the other half wrapped in the refrigerator) 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-rol the pastry a couple of times) and use to line a 12-hole non-stick cupcake or mini-muffin tin. It is quite a soft pastry, so any little gaps that form as your are lining the holes can easily be patched. Chill while you are making the topping.
• In a small bowl, maker 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 crumble. Sprinkle the topping over each pie, place the tin on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden.
• 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 tins, repeat the process with the second batch of pastry, filling and topping, Eat the mince pies warm or cold, lighty dusted with icing sugar, and served with whipped cream or brandy butter.