Mince pies represent the heart of British Christmas tradition, transforming buttery pastry and spiced fruit filling into bite-sized treats that capture the essence of the holiday season. These traditional mince pies feature flaky, golden pastry shells filled with homemade mincemeat – a rich mixture of dried fruits, spices, suet, and brandy that creates complex, warming flavors in every bite. Despite their name, modern mincemeat contains no actual meat, instead relying on dried fruits and aromatic spices to create the characteristic deep, festive taste. This recipe yields 24 individual pies, making them perfect for holiday entertaining, gift-giving, or enjoying with a cup of tea during the Christmas season. The combination of tender pastry and fragrant filling makes these little pies an irresistible symbol of Christmas celebration.
Serving Size: 24 individual pies
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients for the Pastry
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Ingredients for the Mincemeat Filling
- 2 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
- 1/2 cup candied mixed peel, chopped
- 1 large apple, peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 cup shredded suet or cold butter, grated
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons brandy or rum
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Making the Perfect Pastry
Creating excellent pastry is crucial for mince pies, as it needs to be both tender and strong enough to hold the moist filling. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, whisking them together to distribute evenly.
Add the cold, cubed butter and vegetable shortening to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. These butter pieces will create flaky layers in the finished pastry.
Beat the egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of ice water in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Using a fork, gradually bring the flour into the liquid until a rough dough forms. If the dough seems too dry, add the remaining tablespoon of ice water.
Preparing and Chilling the Dough
Gather the dough into a ball and knead it very briefly on a lightly floured surface, just until it comes together smoothly. Divide the dough into two portions, making one slightly larger than the other (the larger portion will be used for the pie bases).
Flatten each portion into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This chilling time allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, making the pastry easier to roll and preventing shrinkage during baking.
Creating the Mincemeat Filling
While the pastry chills, prepare the mincemeat filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dried fruits, candied peel, and diced apple. Add the shredded suet or grated butter, brown sugar, and chopped almonds.
Mix in all the spices, citrus zests, brandy or rum, and lemon juice. Stir everything together thoroughly until well combined. The mixture should be moist and fragrant, with all the fruits evenly coated with the spices and spirits.
Let the mincemeat mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. This resting time helps the dried fruits absorb some of the liquid and creates a more cohesive filling.
Rolling and Cutting the Pastry
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins or traditional mince pie tins.
Remove the larger portion of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter or large glass, cut out 24 circles for the pie bases. You may need to gather and re-roll the scraps to get enough circles.
Gently press each pastry circle into a muffin cup, making sure the pastry comes up the sides and sits flush with the top edge. Don’t stretch the pastry, as this can cause it to shrink during baking.
Filling the Pies
Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of mincemeat filling into each pastry-lined cup. Don’t overfill, as the filling will expand slightly during baking and you need room for the pastry lid.
Level the filling gently with the back of a teaspoon, making sure it’s evenly distributed but not packed down too firmly.
Creating the Pastry Tops
Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness as before. Using a 2.5-inch round cutter, cut out 24 circles for the pie tops. These should be slightly smaller than the base circles to fit comfortably on top of the filled pies.
Place a pastry circle on top of each filled pie and gently press the edges together to seal. You can crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers for a decorative finish and to ensure a good seal.
Final Touches Before Baking
Using a sharp knife, make a small slit or cross in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking. This prevents the tops from puffing up too much and potentially bursting.
Brush the tops of all the pies with beaten egg for a beautiful golden finish. The egg wash also helps the pastry develop a lovely shiny surface during baking.
Baking to Golden Perfection
Bake the mince pies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. The tops should be a lovely golden color and the edges should look set and slightly darker.
Remove from the oven and let the pies cool in the tins for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack. This brief cooling period prevents the pastry from breaking when you remove the pies.
Finishing and Presentation
Once the mince pies are completely cool, dust them lightly with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. This traditional finishing touch gives them an elegant, festive appearance that’s perfect for the holiday season.
The powdered sugar also adds a subtle sweetness that complements the rich, spiced filling beautifully.
Serving and Storage
Mince pies are traditionally served at room temperature or slightly warmed, making them perfect for afternoon tea, holiday parties, or as a sweet treat after Christmas dinner. They pair wonderfully with a cup of tea, mulled wine, or even a glass of sherry.
Store cooled mince pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months – just thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Tips
The mincemeat filling can be made several days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator, which actually improves the flavor as the ingredients have more time to meld together.
You can also prepare the pastry dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator. The assembled unbaked pies can be frozen and baked directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Traditional Variations
Some traditional recipes include a star-shaped pastry cutout on top instead of a full pastry lid, which shows off the beautiful dark filling underneath. Others prefer to leave the tops off entirely for a more rustic appearance.
You can also add different nuts like pecans or walnuts to the mincemeat, or include dried cranberries for a more modern twist while maintaining the traditional flavor profile.
Homemade vs Store-Bought Mincemeat
While you can certainly use high-quality store-bought mincemeat to save time, making your own allows you to control the sweetness and spice levels. Homemade mincemeat also tends to be less sweet and more complex in flavor than commercial varieties.
If using store-bought mincemeat, consider adding a splash of extra brandy and some fresh citrus zest to brighten the flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Mince pies are delicious on their own, but they can also be served with a dollop of brandy butter, clotted cream, or vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat. Some people enjoy them warmed slightly with a drizzle of custard.
For a festive presentation, arrange the dusted pies on a decorative platter with some holly sprigs or Christmas decorations around the edges.
These traditional mince pies bring centuries of British Christmas tradition to your holiday table, combining buttery pastry with aromatic spiced fruit filling that captures the very essence of the festive season. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of textures and flavors that make these little pies an essential part of Christmas celebration.
