Traditional mince pies
Using apple and less dried fruit makes this a great festive treat that is low in potassium, phosphate and salt.
Chef
Ingredients
Homemade mincemeat
1 large Bramley apple
25g low fat margarine
50g glace cherries
50g dark soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
100g mixed fruit peel
1 tablespoon brandy or rum
Pastry
225g plain flour
150g butter
2 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cold water
Method
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Step 1
Make the pastry. Sift the flour and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Separate the egg and mix the egg yolk with the water and add to the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough.
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Step 2
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the apple and roughly chop the cherries then combine all the homemade mincemeat ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
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Step 3
On a lightly floured surface roll out half the pastry to 3mm thick. Using a 7.5-9cm fluted cutter, stamp out 12 circles of pastry. Gently press into a greased patty tin. Then cut out 12 smaller circles using the rest of the pastry and a 6cm cutter.
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Step 4
Drop a teaspoon of mincemeat into each round, brush the edges with water and then stick the lids on top, pressing together to seal.
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Step 5
Brush the tops with egg white and make a small hole in the top for any air to escape.
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Step 6
Bake at 190Β°C/gas mark 5 for about 20 minutes. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Food facts
The pastry along with the sugar and fruit from the mincemeat are the main sources of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate values have been provided for those trained in insulin adjustment.
As apples are a low potassium fruit, they are used to form the base of this mincemeat alternative, making these lower in potassium than traditional mince pies.
There is very little phosphate in each mince pie and they are therefore a suitable snack if you are following a low phosphate diet.
Each mince pie is low in protein.
Use gluten-free flour.
Use a dairy-free margarine. Buy a ready rolled vegan pastry or omit the egg from the pastry and brush with a plant based milk alternative.
For a healthier option leave the pastry tops off the mince pies, or alternatively use filo pastry for a lower fat alternative. You may wish to consider omitting the sugar from the pastry to reduce the sugar content.
You donβt need to use the brandy or rum, but a cheaper option is to buy a miniature bottle to avoid needing to buy a larger bottle.
Uncooked mince pies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen and allow an additional 10-15 minutes cooking time in the oven. They can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
To save time, you can buy ready rolled shortcrust pastry to use in this recipe. Try using the pastry recipe and filling with Jam in place of mincemeat for a fruit tart alternative.