Festive Drunken Mince Pies Recipe

Ingredients for the pastry

Ingredients for the mince pie filling

350g plain flour
75g lard
75g butter
Pinch of salt
Cold water to mix

460g good quality mincemeat (or make your own Drunken Mincemeat)
Reserved spiced fruit from Festive Christmas Pudding Vodka

Non-Stick 12 Cup Mince Pie/Mini Muffin Pan Carbon Steel 29 cm x 22 cm x 2 cm, Cups 6 cm x 3.25 cm

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees centigrade
For 6cm mince pie tins, like the one opposite, you'll need
1x7.5cm cutter and 1x 6cm cutter
If using shop bought mincemeat, thoroughly mix it with the vodka soaked spiced fruit.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl
Cut all the fat into small cubes add to the flour and gently rub in with your fingertips
When the mixture is crumbly sprinkle with 2 tbs of water. Use a knife to mix and bring the mixture together adding more water as needed. Finally bring the mixture together with your hands to make a smooth ball of dough. Allow the pastry to rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out half the pastry to 3mm thick and cut out 36 7.5cm rounds. Repeat with the second half but using the 6cm cutter
Grease the patty tins, line with the larger rounds and fill with Drunken Mincemeat. Dampen the edges of the small rounds with water and press them into position to form lids, sealing the edges. Brush with milk and snip the lid of each one with scissors.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. When cool, store in an airtight tin.

Good Food:
101 Christmas Dishes
(Tried-and-Tested Recipes)

Mince Pies often aren't great for vegetarians as the pastry may contain lard and generally there's suet in the mincemeat. However, here is a recipe for vegetarian festive drunken mince pies that is suitable for vegetarians and the health conscious as the mincemeat contains no animal fat or added sugar. They taste really good too!

Make plenty of the vegetarian mincemeat as it will keep in a jar for up to a year. Who says mince pies are just for Christmas anyway?!

Ingredients for Vegetarian Festive Drunken Mince Pies Pastry

How to make the pastry for Vegetarian Festive Drunken Mince Pies

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub gently with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and stir until a stiff dough is achieved. Knead gently on a floured surface, wrap in cling film and leave to rest for an hour in the fridge.

Ingredients For The Vegetarian Mincemeat

How to make the mincemeat for Festive Vegetarian Drunken Mince Pies

Chop the dried banana and apricots and add to the raisins, sultanas and spices.
Chop the orange peel into small pieces and boil for 5 minutes to soften then drain and let cool.
Add the grated apple to the fruit mix and sprinkle with the lemon juice, grate in the coconut, add the orange peel and alcohol and stir well
Put the mincemeat in clean dry jars, add a wax disc and seal with a lid. Keep in the fridge or very cool place.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade
For 6cm patty tins you'll need 1x7.5cm cutter and 1x 6cm cutter
Roll out half the pastry to 3mm thick and cut out 18-24 7.5cm rounds. Repeat with the second half but using the 6cm cutter
Grease the patty tins, line with the larger rounds and fill with the vegetarian mincemeat. Dampen the edges of the small rounds with water and press them into position to form lids, sealing the edges. Brush with milk and snip the lid of each one with scissors.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. When cool, store in an airtight tin.