| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
pies
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Ingredients
Shortbread:
- 340 g Plain Flour
- Finely grated zest of 1 large Orange
- 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- 170 g Caster Sugar
- 250 g Unsalted Butter softened
Biscuit Topping:
- 3 large Egg Whites
- 160 g Ground Almonds
- 225 g golden Caster Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
Filling:
- 800 g quality Mincemeat mixed with any or all of the nuts and berries
- 1 small handful Nuts of choice chopped
- 1 small handful Dried Cranberries or Cherries or a mixture of, chopped
- 50 ml Rum or Brandy
- Grated zest of 1 Orange
To finish:
- 2 tablespoons Icing Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon optional
Ingredients
Shortbread:
Biscuit Topping:
Filling:
To finish:
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Instructions
Make the shortbread:
- Mix the flour, cinnamon, orange zest and sugar together and rub in the butter, forming a soft dough.
- Flatten it slightly and wrap in cling wrap.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes or until needed.
- NB: The dough can also be frozen at this stage. When defrosting, let it soften to room temperature to help with the rolling out.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and leave it to soften.
- Roll out thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out circles of dough to line lightly buttered mince pie tins.
- Lightly press a fork around the edge of each.
- Place a teaspoonful of the mincemeat mixture onto each shortbread case and flatten out a little.
Make the biscuit topping:
- Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl for a few moments with a fork until it becomes loose and a bit frothy.
- Add the almonds, sugar and almond extract and mix together until well blended into a soft mixture, loose is okay.
To Complete:
- Spoon over 1 teaspoon of the biscuit mixture per mince pie, spreading it out a little. (No need to be too fussy, as they bake, the topping will naturally spread out and cover any gaps.)
- Run a wet finger all over the surface to give a smoother biscuit finish or else leave it quite rustic.
- Bake the mince pies at 180° C for about 20 minutes until golden on top.
- Leave them to cool in the tins. (This makes them easier to remove without any crumbling.)
- Mix the icing sugar with the cinnamon, if using.
- Remove the cooled mince pies to a wire rack or plate.
- Dust liberally with the icing sugar and cinnamon.
Recipe Notes
* Biscuits can be made a few days ahead of time and re-heated for about 10 minutes at about 170° C, along with another dusting of icing sugar if preferred!
**