Mince Pies

Dizzyblonde

I finally found a recipe I like.
The normal ones have too high a ratio of filling to pastry for me, so I gave Paul Hollywood's frangipane mince pies a try and they're delicious.
I did a test run today



Recipe is HERE

pigtail33

Oh, must give those a go, they look delish. I always find putting the lids on top very fiddly and at least half of them always bubble over, but I still never manage to get the deep fill of the shop bought ones.

tfak85

I have pastry chilling in the fridge to make my mince pie Danish pastries, really easy, delicious and impressive looking, I'll pop up a photo and recipe if anyone wants it later on!

Dizzyblonde

Yes please!

Misty Moon

pigtail33 wrote: »

Oh, must give those a go, they look delish. I always find putting the lids on top very fiddly and at least half of them always bubble over, but I still never manage to get the deep fill of the shop bought ones.

I don't even try to fiddle around with lids any more and just do them the way I saw on River Cottage years ago. Cut out a big round of pastry (I just use standard shortcrust pastry since it's the only one I'm good at ), put a dollop of mincemeat in the middle and fold it over. Just use a bit of water around the edges to stick. I have a nice scalloped edge cutter that I like to use. Here's what a batch looks like when it's nearly midnight and you're rushing and keep putting too much mincemeat nt and don't stick them properly so that they end up bubbling over. Good thing is that there's no sticky mess to clean from a bun tray afterwards.
Or else I do the proper bun shape but instead of a closed lid, just put a star shape of pastry on top. I hate mince pies, but I love making them. Those frangipane ones look good, too. I made loads of mincemeat this year - I do so love christmas baking, probably a good thing that I don't actually like to eat any of the traditional stuff.

tfak85

This is the danishes right out of the oven.


This is them iced. You'll have to forgive the presentation, they were just waiting to be packed into a lunch box for work tonight.

Will share recipe tomorrow, about to run out the door!

Dizzyblonde

They look delicious

tfak85

Well, the mince pie Danishes were snapped up in work overnight!

The recipe is based on Granny tfaks Danish pastry from many many moons ago.

Pastry is 12oz. Self Raising Flour, 8oz. Butter or marge, 1/2 pint water.

Grate the super cold butter into the flour and mix/chop around with a knife, add in the water a little at a time until it comes together as a dough, knead for a few mins then wrap in cling film and pop into the fridge for half an hour or so.

Medium heat oven, 180C.

Take out the pastry and roll into a large rectangle, about 3-5mm thickness is what you're aiming for.

Spread mince meat evenly across the pastry, I used a large jar to make my last batch. Sprinkle with a couple of handfuls of ground almonds, just so you have a fine dusting over the whole thing then sprinkle with about 50g of chopped pecans.

Starting at one of the wide edges roll your pastry up to the opposite side (like a Swiss roll), then slice 1.5-2cm slices all the way along. I just heavily flour my baking trays but you could use greaseproof either. Place the slices facing up on the baking sheets, with room to spread between, slightly spread the layers of pastry, just very gently, with your knife, to get a flatter top.

Into the oven for 12-15mins or until pastry is becoming golden brown and the Danish is becoming firm to touch. Allow to cool and slide off baking sheet with a palette knife. Decorate with icing/glaze made with orange juice and icing sugar, É voila!

The original recipe is spread pastry with apricot jam, dust with ground almonds and raisins then decorate with almond essence water icing - always a crowd pleaser!

Awesome-O

I know it's cheating but if I want to make the frangipane mince pies with frozen pastry (I know if doesnt have the almonds but the songe will), is it shortcrust pastry I use?

They look and sound deliscious.

Misty Moon

I don't think shortcrust pastry would work - is the frangipane not more like a type of sponge really? Edit: sorry, just looked at the recipe properly again and the frangipane spongy bit is the topping. The pastry on the bottom still isn't quite shortcrust but it might work in a pinch - would just be closer to traditional mince pies, I think.

This thread has inspired me to try and come up with other ways of using mincemeat up and now I'm thinking that Smitten Kitchen's Easy Jam Tart might work with mincemeat instead of jam. Hmm, may need to find some volunteers to taste test that for me.

Dizzyblonde

Awesome-O wrote: »

I know it's cheating but if I want to make the frangipane mince pies with frozen pastry (I know if doesnt have the almonds but the songe will), is it shortcrust pastry I use?

They look and sound deliscious.

I didn't fancy almond flavoured pastry so I made shortcrust pastry for the base, although I added a little icing sugar to it. There's so much flavour in the filling and topping that shortcrust works fine for the base.

Mince Pie

I like making cinnamon flavoured cupcakes with a generous dollop of mincemeat in the middle topped with a baileys buttercream! Not for children.

Mystery Egg

I *really* like the sound of those frangipane mince pies and the mince pie danishes. Really creative ideas guys, looking absolutely delish. I might give them both a go!

My favourite mince pie recipe is absolutely scrumptious and so, so easy. Truly they are done in minutes. It was designed to be for making the pies with children and so the pastry is not at all fiddly. It's from Good Food Magazine in 2012. I'm really looking forward to making mine on Christmas eve.

Ingredients

225g cold butter, diced
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg
icing sugar, to dust

Method

To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Awesome-O

Mince Pie wrote: »

I like making cinnamon flavoured cupcakes with a generous dollop of mincemeat in the middle topped with a baileys buttercream! Not for children.

Sounds delicious, will give this a try over the next few weeks.

RosyLily

Those Danishes look unbelievable!! Drool all over the place!:D

A local cafe do mince pies with a crumble topping. So delish and the crumb isn't stodgy. Going to attempt this during the week.

Has anyone used Nigella's pastry recipe? She uses the juice of an orange instead of an egg. Tempted to try it.

ike

Could you use Puff pastry to make the Danish mince pies?

RosyLily

ike wrote: »

Could you use Puff pastry to make the Danish mince pies?

There was a recipe in yesterday's Mail where puff pastry was used to make Eccles cake-style mince pies. Picture of them looked delish!

Think it was a Jo Wheatley recipe...

Awesome-O

I made the Paul Hollywood ones with frozen shortcrust pastry, went down so well they didn't last long enough for a photo.

Faith

M&S do a gorgeous puff pastry mince pie. It's one of the only ones I like

ike

I answered my own question yesterday evening, whipped up a batch of these 'Danish Mince Pies' using puff pastry

tfak85

They look fantastic ike! Apologies for not seeing your question earlier, I would've said absolutely yes!

Mystery Egg

I made mine today. Easy peasy and absolutely scrumptious - the pastry is very short and light and crisp.

Danii86

Mystery Egg wrote: »

I made mine today. Easy peasy and absolutely scrumptious - the pastry is very short and light and crisp.

Have you a recipe for the pastry? I always struggle to find a really nice short pastry for them, Iv used this one from the BBc GoodFood website but its a tricky one to make, and to get it to roll out because they suggest squishing it into the tins rather than rolling and my OCD cant handle the messyness of that!! Thanks. Making a big batch to take into work for the last day tomorrow....no work will be done just lots of tea and mince pie eating!!;):p

Mystery Egg

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Ingredients

225g cold butter, diced
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg
icing sugar, to dust

Method

To make the pastry, rub 225g cold, diced butter into 350g plain flour, then mix in 100g golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball – don’t add liquid – and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies.

Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

From earlier in the thread.

I added 2 teaspoons of cold water because my pastry was a touch dry this time round. The result was perfect.

bizzyb

My lecturer gave me this recipe http://odlums.ie/recipes/coconut-mince-pies/ the start of November and I've made about 300 for family & friends since, everyone loves them. Only thing I do different is I don't use the pastry recipe, I make sweet pastry.

Misty Moon

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

I finally found a recipe I like.
The normal ones have too high a ratio of filling to pastry for me, so I gave Paul Hollywood's frangipane mince pies a try and they're delicious.
I did a test run today

Recipe is HERE

I made the frangipane mincepies at the weekend, since one friend's son complained that he didn't like the usual ones (I usually just use shortcrust pastry). They were fantastic! Thanks a million for that recipe.

My notes, in case it's any help to anyone else who's making them:
I found the bottom layer impossible to roll out - probably needs to be really, really chilled to get that done. I had chilled it but then, after taking it out, ended up being distracted with something else so it had warmed up a bit by the time I got to it. I just pressed some into each section of my bun tray and put that into the fridge while I made the topping. Worked out fine but it did feel like there was just barely enough.

I left out the apple for the filling, since my mincemeat has apple in it anyway. Instead of 2 satsumas, I took the easy way out and used segments from a tin of mandarins, a bit less than half a small tin. With generous dollops of filling in each, I still used only a bit more than half of it.

They were a big hit at the party I went to on Sunday - will definitely be making these again!

Dizzyblonde

You're welcome

I just made shortcrust pastry with a little icing sugar to sweeten it for the bottom and it was much easier to manage.

RosyLily

bizzyb wrote: »

My lecturer gave me this recipe http://odlums.ie/recipes/coconut-mince-pies/ the start of November and I've made about 300 for family & friends since, everyone loves them. Only thing I do different is I don't use the pastry recipe, I make sweet pastry.

Made these yesterday. SO nice!!! Coconut turned lovely and crispy when baked and they weren't too sweet. They went down well with the family as well. Thanks a mill for passing on the recipe bizzyb!:)

Also made mincemeat parcels using the (chilled) sweet shortcrust pastry from Aldi. Something a little different. The pastry was really tasty - light and crispy. I'll definitely be buying it again.

AlbionCat

Just want to say thanks to dizzy for the PH frangipane mince pie recipe. Everyone loved it so it goes in my magic book for next year.