Mince Pies with Thermomix Puff Pastry and Homemade Mincemeat
It’s about 10 days until Christmas and I’ve been a bit humbug this season. The tree and the decorations are in boxes in the guest house and and I won’t put them up until I finish emptying the moving boxes which is becoming a rather protracted chore. However, every year ThermoHubby John brings some sort of Christmas treat to his office and in a long-awaited burst of Christmas spirit I thought this year it would be nice for him to be able to bring some totally traditionally English Mince Pies to his French colleagues. There’s of course one hitch… we live in France and the nearest Marks and Spencer’s is about an hour and a half away so I’ll just have to call upon my trusty Thermomix to help me make some 😉
ThermoHubby John likes puff pastry mince pies, so I used the Thermomix France puff pastry recipe and its sensationally easy Snail Method. If you prefer a shortcrust pastry I recommend this one, also from Thermomix France.
The mincemeat recipe was developed by Adela Forestier-Walker, one of the UK’s longest-serving Thermomix Advisors, and tweaked by Thermomix UK Director Janie Turner. It’s a doddle to make, can stand up to the vaguaries of your larder and its contents, and produces a mincemeat with a really fresh, lemony flavour. I’ll never buy storebought again!
| Mincemeat – Adela Forestier-Walker |
| Extremely easy to make in your Thermomix, this mincemeat is perfect for mince pies and tarts. It is a variation of Adela Forestier-Walker’s recipe. It can be used straight away but tastes better if you can wait at least 2 days for the flavours to mature. Janie Turner likes it best made with butter, and so does Madame Thermomix. Keeps up to 6 months. Makes about 600 g. Easily doubled or tripled. |
| Ingredients |
| 50 g sugar 1 organic lemon, thinly peeled skin of ½ only plus juice of the whole lemon 100 g fresh suet cut in pieces or room temperature butter diced or bought prepared suet 100 g cooking apples, peeled and quartered 1 Tbsp brandy 100 g currants 100 g sultanas 100 g raisins |
| Method |
|
1. Grind sugar and lemon peelings from ½ the lemon 20 seconds/Speed 10. |
| Janie Turner’s Tips |
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Variations: • Add 100 g blanched almonds at Step 2 and chop at Speed 6 for a few seconds. This is Adela’s favourite version. |
I was inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Star-Topped Mince Pies and made bite-sized pies with cute little stars on top. Fantastic!
Bon appétit !
Thanks, Helene, those little mince pies certainly were delicious. ThermoHubby John’s French office colleagues gobbled them up straight away! Merry Christmas!
Lovely Madame… so cute AND delicious. What a combination, that puff pastry and the lemony-ness of the mince. I bet they were gobbled right up!