Frangipane or Crumble-topped Mince Pies - Recipe by Becky Excell
Ingredients
Makes 12
Homemade mincemeat filling:
200 g raisins
150 g currants
150 g candied mixed peel
150 g gluten-free vegetable suet
200 g dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cooking apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped
50mL brandy (optional)
Ultimate shortcrust pastry:
300 g gluten-free plain flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
145 g very cold butter, cut into 1 cm cubes
3 Tbs caster sugar (for sweet pastry)
1 tsp salt (for savoury pastry)
2 large eggs, beaten
Frangipane topping:
125 g caster sugar
125 g butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
125 g ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
25 g gluten-free plain flour
1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Flaked almonds
Crumble topping:
110 g cold butter, cubed
220 g gluten-free plain flour
90 g light brown sugar
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
4-5 tsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
Method
Mincemeat:
Combine all of the ingredients except the brandy in a large, lidded ovenproof dish. Cover and allow to rest for a minimum of 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 100 C fan-forced, pop the lid on (or cover with foil) and place into the oven for 2–3 hours, then give it a good stir. Once completely cooled, give it another good stir and then stir in the brandy, if using.
Store in a clean jar in the fridge.
Pastry cases:
Preheat the oven to 180 C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin/cupcake tin.
Remove the pastry from the fridge. If the dough feels really firm, leave it out at room temperature briefly before rolling it.
Remember not to handle the dough excessively as you work with it, as this will warm it up and make it more fragile. Lightly flour a rolling pin. on a large sheet of non-stick baking parchment, roll out the dough to a 3 mm thickness. Aim to roll out a large rectangle.
Use a 9 cm round biscuit (cookie) cutter to cut out 12 circles for the base of the mince pies. Carefully ease them into the holes of the muffin tin, pressing them in gently.
Spoon around 1–2 teaspoons of mincemeat filling into each hole.
Frangipane topping:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the caster sugar and softened butter until light and pale. Add in the beaten egg gradually and mix again until combined. Fold in the ground almonds, almond extract, flour and baking powder.
Crumble topping:
With your fingertips, rub the cold butter into the flour in a large mixing bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. (You can do this in a food processor if you wish.) Next, mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
To finish and bake:
Either spoon frangipane topping and then a few flaked almonds on top of the mincemeat, or sprinkle on the crumble topping.
Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool before removing from the tin. Dust with a little icing sugar for a snowy finish.
Tip:
Mince pie dodgers in the house? Pop some jam in the pastry cases instead of mincemeat beneath the frangipane or use tinned apple pie filling instead of the mincemeat beneath the crumble top.
Photo Credits: Hannah Rose Hughes
