Mince Pies

/ Backen, Kleingebäck, The Bakery Project
The Bakery Project  –  Diary  –  15
( This is my final diary entry from South Africa.)

Mince Pie is a traditional English pastry for christmas. As South Africa is a multicultural country with a big influence from England, the Black Forest Bakery is offering them for christmas.
I was always suspicious of Mince Pies but the Black Forest Bakery changed my mind. Their Mince Pies are really delicious.
Mince Pies are little pies made of short pastry filled with dried fruits, nuts and seasoned with different spices like cinnamon, allspice (Piment).
This year I will bake some in any case when I am back home from my adventures in Africa. I will bake them according to the following recipe.

Ingredients

for 22 pies

  • 185 g cold butter
  • 250 g flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 egg yolk (from a medium egg)
  • 200 g dried apricots
  • 150 g dried dates
  •  ½ tsp powdered allspice and ½ tsp cinnamon powder
  • 5 tbsp orange liqueur 22 silver cups for circles of 7 cm Ø – or 2 muffin tins each with 12 recesses

Preparation

For the dough knead butter and flour. Add salt, sugar, egg yolk and 2-3 tbsp cold water. Knead all fast to a smooth dough. Wrap the dough into cling wrap and leave it in the fridge for 1 hour. 

For the filling cut apricots and dates in small cubes. Heat up 200 ml water in a pot, add the dried fruits, take the pot from the stove and add allspice, cinnamon and liqueur. Let the mixture cool down.
Preheat the oven to 180° C.

Roll out the dough – 3 mm thin – and cut 22 circles each of 7 cm Ø . Put the circles into the buttered and floured recesses. Put in each recess 1 tbsp. of the filling. Spread the rest of the dough and cut 22 circles of 5 cm Ø. Cut a little whole in the middle of the circles as you can see in the picture ( for example with a straw) or cut out a little star from the circles. Put the circles on top of the filling and press them slightly. 

Bake the Mince Pies for 30 – 35 minutes. Let them cool down before you remove them from the tin. You can store the pies for 2 weeks in a biscuit box.

 
Mince Pies – nicely wrapped – are always an appreciated present for good friends.

* * *