Mince Pies

Mince pies are my ultimate Christmas treat—little bites of festive magic that bring back so many cherished memories. When we lived in Hong Kong, we eagerly anticipated the mince pies served after favorite Welsh Christmas concert and during elegant afternoon teas at the city’s beautiful hotels. In England, our love for them deepened as we enjoyed freshly baked pies at a cozy thatched cottage in the picturesque Cotswolds and sampled them at charming local bakeries. To me, mince pies truly capture the taste of Christmas.

This recipe makes approximately 4 dozen small pies (depending on the size of the baking pans you use). I use proper mince pie pans, but you may also use mini muffin tins.

MINCE FILLING

2 apples, finely chopped

1 pear, finely chopped

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 cup raisins

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup currants

1/2 cup candied citron

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp mace

Pinch salt

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Splash of brandy or rum

In a large pot, combine all the ingredients except for pecans. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, stirring frequently for about 30 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Add the pecans. Let the mixture cool.

Makes approximately 4 cups.

PASTRY

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

3/4 cup ice water

In a medium bowl whisk the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and stir with a fork. Form the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thickness. Cut out circles with a round cookie or biscuit cutter (I use a 2-7/8″ cutter) and small stars, if desired. Press the rounds into the mince pie pans.

Fill each pastry cup with mince filling and lay a star on top. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden. Let cool in the pan, then remove. Enjoy!