British Mince Pie Recipe

Mince pies are sweet pies filled with a combination of dried fruits, spices and brandy, traditionally eaten during the Christmas period in the United Kingdom.

Mince pies are made with shortcrust pastry and filled with a sweet mixture called mincemeat, which is a blend of dried fruits, spices and alcoholic spirits like brandy.

Origin & Cultural Significance

The name ‘mince pie’ originally referred to minced meat, which was a part of the original recipe in medieval times. Modern mince pies do not contain meat; the filling is a fruit-based mixture known as ‘mincemeat’.

The recipe for mince pies can be traced back to the 13th Century when European crusaders brought back Middle Eastern recipes that combined meats, fruits, and spices to the UK.

Early mince pies were known as ‘Christmas pies’; they were shaped like a manger to symbolize the birth of Jesus and the spices in the filling (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) are believed to represent the gifts of the Three Kings.

By the Victorian era, the recipe for mince pies evolved to be much sweeter and lost the meat content.

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British Mince Pie Recipe

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Mince pies are sweet pies filled with a combination of dried fruits, spices and brandy, traditionally eaten during the Christmas period in the United Kingdom.

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Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Cold unsalted butter (cubed) - 1/2 cup
• Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Egg - 1 large
• Cold water - as needed
• Mixed dried fruits - 2 cups
• Mixed peel (candied orange and lemon peel) - 1/2 cup
• Dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup
• Apple (peeled and finely chopped) - 1
• Brandy or rum - 1/4 cup
• Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp
• Ground nutmeg - 1 tsp
• Ground cloves - 1/2 tsp
• Ground allspice - 1/2 tsp
• Lemon (zested and juiced) - 1
• Orange (zested and juiced) - 1

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture forms fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the egg and mix until the dough begins to come together, adding cold water if needed.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Combine all the mincemeat ingredients in a large bowl, then let the mixture sit for at least an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
7. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness.
8. Cut out circles for the base of the pies using a round cutter, then line a muffin tin with the pastry circles.
9. Spoon about a tablespoon of the mincemeat filling into each pastry-lined cup.
10. Cut out slightly smaller circles or stars from the remaining dough to cover the tops of the pies, pressing the edges gently to seal.
11. Brush the tops with beaten egg if desired, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
12. Let the pies cool before removing them from the tin.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 35mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 5gSugar: 35gProtein: 4g

Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.