A classic British Christmas Dish , Mince pies made up of a mincemeat filling ( without the meat! ) and a soft pastry outside dusted with sugar. This version has an additional twist—a bit of cocoa for a deep, rich flavor. Try adding 2 clementines to the mincemeat ingredients to add a bit of tang!
For the pastry
- 280g plain flour
- 25g ground almonds
- 175g butter
- 85g golden caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp whole milk
For the mincemeat
- 100g sultanas
- 100g raisins
- 100g currants
- 100g semi-dried apricots
- 50g cacao, finely grated
- 3 apples, such as russet or cox, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp each light brown and dark brown muscovado sugar
- 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg and mixed spice
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons or oranges
- 5 tbsp rum or Calvados or Grand Marnier or cognac
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Icing sugar, to finish
METHOD
How to make Willie’s chocolate mince pies
1. Prepare the pastry by putting the flour and almonds into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it looks like very fine breadcrumbs.
2. Sprinkle in the sugar and add the lemon zest, egg yolk and milk and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. Tip the mixture onto a board and gently squeeze the pastry until it comes together into a ball – add water if it feels dry. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 190°C. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of few millimetres. Using a 7cm fluted cutter, cut out 24 discs and line 2 x 12 hole bun tin with them. Use a 6cm fluted cutter to cut 24 discs for the lids.
4. Make the mincemeat by putting the sultanas, raisons, currants and apricots in a food processor. Blitz until evenly chopped. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
5. Spoon 2 tsp of mincemeat into each tart, dampen the edge of the pastry bottom with water and sit a smaller pastry disc on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cool on a wire rack. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar.