Published via Ecency

I quickly made some mince pies last night, realizing I didn't have any to leave for Santa! It's a fun UK tradition to leave mince pies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve to help him on his journey. It’s a special way to share the Christmas spirit and create magical memories with family.

Mince pies started as meat pies in medieval England. Over time, they became sweet and are now a Christmas tradition, shared to spread festive joy.

The pie mainly has a Mincemeat filling, which typically includes dried fruits, suet, spices, sugar, citrus zest, apples, brandy or rum, and sometimes nuts, with the traditional inclusion of meat now being rare.

Here's how ...

Quick Mince Pie Recipe 🎄

Ingredients 🎄

For the Filling 🎄

500 g Pastry homemade or store-bought
400 g mincemeat ( soaked in brandy or rum if preferred, homemade or store-bought)
1 small apple, grated (for extra moisture)
Zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp brandy or rum (optional, for extra flavour)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp mixed spice
A handful of chopped nuts (optional, such as almonds or walnuts)

To Finish:
1 egg, beaten (for glazing)
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions 🎄

Prepare the Filling🎄

Grate the apple and orange zest.

Crush the nuts.

In a bowl, stir together the store-bought mincemeat, grated apple, orange zest, cinnamon, mixed spice and crushed or chopped nuts for extra texture and flavour.

Add brandy or rum (if using).

Taste the mixture and adjust spices or sweetness if needed.

Assemble the Mince Pies 🎄

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) or 180°C (350°F) fan.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness.

Cut out larger circles to line a 12-hole muffin tin and smaller circles or any shapes for the lids.

Press the larger circles into the tin, then spoon a generous amount of the mincemeat mixture into each pie.

Brush the edges of the pastry with water and place the smaller circles on top, pressing down the edges to seal.

Make a small slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.

Bake 🎄

Brush the tops of the pies with beaten egg for a golden finish.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin.

Serve 🎄

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serve warm or cold, perfect with a dollop of brandy butter.

Or a cup of tea!

The mincemeat filling softens during baking, and the dried fruits become plump and juicy.

The sweetness from the dried fruits, combined with the warmth of the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice), creates a comforting, rich flavour. The alcohol adds a subtle warmth, enhancing the complexity of the spices.