Orange, cranberry & almond mince pies

Stirring zingy cranberries into bought mincemeat and making your own simple almond pastry really brings these mince pies to life

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:20 mins
    Plus chilling
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 249
  • fat 14g
  • saturates 7g
  • carbs 29g
  • sugars 17g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 3g
  • salt 0.15g

Ingredients

  • 200g very cold butter, cubed
  • 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • zest 2 oranges
  • 2 tbsp milk (or use orange juice)
  • 100g frozen cranberries
  • 400g jar good-quality mincemeat
  • handful flaked almonds
  • 2 tsp icing sugar, plus dusting
  • 200ml tub crème fraîche

Method

  1. Whizz the butter, flour and ground almonds in a food processor until the butter has disappeared. Pulse in the sugar and half the orange zest. Add the milk and keep whizzing until a rough dough comes together. Tip onto the work surface, press together and shape into a smooth disc, kneading once or twice if you need to. Chill for 15 mins. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled, or frozen for up to 1 month.

  2. Scatter a little flour onto the work surface. Roll out the dough to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Using an 8cm cutter, stamp out 24 circles and use to line the holes of 2 x 12-hole bun tins.

  3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix cranberries and mincemeat, then spoon into cases. Scatter each pie with flaked almonds. Can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake the pies for 18-20 mins until the pastry and almonds are golden. When ready to serve, dust with the tiniest bit of icing sugar. Stir 2 tsp icing sugar and remaining zest into the crème fraîche, then dollop onto each pie to serve.

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