Not A Big Fan Of Mince Pies? Here’s 3 Festive Alternative To The Classic Recipes

• 2 cups plain flour
• 150g butter [chilled & chopped]
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp caramel spread
• 1 1/2 tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon curd
• 1/4 cup demerara sugar
• 6 mini meringues

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Combine the flour, almond meal, icing sugar and butter in a mixing bowl or a food processor. Continue to mix the ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in 1 egg and then continue to mix until it comes together and forms dough balls.
3. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth. Then place the dough in a mixing bowl and cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the chilled pastry between two sheets of baking paper until they’re around 4mm thick. Use a 7cm round cutter and cut out 18 discs. Continue to re-roll out the pastry, including the trimmings. Place the discs, 2 cm apart on the lined baking tray.
5. Use a 5cm round cutter and cut out the centre from each disc to form a ring shape. Lightly beat the remaining egg into a bowl and brush around the edges of the dough disc. Position a ring on the top and press lightly to secure. Then use 2 fingers and pinch the edges to form the decorative broader of pecan pies.
6. Spread 1 tsp of caramel into the centre of each and sprinkle with pecans.
7. To form the lattice, roll out the pastry trimming in between 2 sheets of baking paper until 4mm thick. Use a sharp knife and cut out strips. Place 3 strips 2cm apart on baking paper, then place the remaining stips 1cm apart on top in the opposite direction – this form the lattice.
8. Press lightly to join the strips together, then spread 1 tbsp of strawberry jam into the centre of 1 ring. Brush the top of the pastry with egg and carefully place the lattice on top and lightly press to secure with a shape knife to trim the lattice edges. Repeat the process with the pastry trimmings and the remaining jam and egg.
9. For the meringue, you first need to roll out the remaining between 2 sheets of baking paper until 4mm thick. Then use a 1cm round disc with a little egg and place the small disc and slightly overlap around the edge to form a decorative border. Spread 1 tsp of lemon curd into the centre of each and repeat this process for the rest.

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g cold butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tsp iced water
• 410g jar mince fruit
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1tsp mixed spices
• icing sugar, to dust on top

instructions

1. Combined the flour, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl or processor and mix until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add in the golden syrup and iced water and continue to mix until the dough comes together.
2. Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead till it becomes smooth. Then shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
3. Preheat the oven to 200c, grease or line with baking paper a 12-hole baking tray and scoop in the mixture. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use 7cm round cutters and cut out 10 discs and then reserve the pastry trimmings. Press the pastry discs into the prepared baking tray holes.
4. Combined the fruit mince evenly in between the pastry cases. Then roll out the remaining pastry in between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick and use a 6cm round cutter to cut out 18 discs [re-roll if necessary]. Top the tarts with pastry and seal the edges with a fork.
5. Once the oven is hot, bake the tarts for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wired rack to cool completely.
6. To add a festive touch, sprinkle the top with icing sugar to serve.

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cups icing sugar
• 125g chilled butter
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp iced water
• 2tsp caster sugar

Filling Ingredients

• 1 bunch of rhubarb
• 2 granny smith apples
• 1tbsp cornflour
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 250g strawberries

instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Combine the flour, icing sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl or food processor and mix it until the mixture starts to resemble breadcrumbs. Then add in the egg yolk and water and continue to mix until everything comes together to form a ball.
2. Place the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it becomes smooth. Keep back 1 1/4 of the pastry and keep it to one side.
3. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface. Place the pastry into a tart dish – make sure to line the base and sides – and trim away any excess. Chill the pastry in the fridge for 1hr.
4. In the meantime, roll out the remaining pastry into a 2mm thick disc and use a 5cm star-shaped cutter and also cut out 6 strips to create the lattice.
5. Cover the pastry with baking paper and weigh it down with either pastry weights or rice and bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the paper and bake for a further 8-10 minutes or until it’s lightly golden and reduce the heat to180c.
6. Whilst the pastry is baking, start to cook the rhubarb, apple and sugar all together in a saucepan over medium heat, stir occasionally. Combine the cornflour with 2 tbsp of cold water, and add in the strawberries to the rhubarb mixture. Cook and stir the mixture for a further 2 mins or until the sauce becomes thickened.
7. Spoon the rhubarb mixture into the pastry case and smooth the surface and bake for 20 minutes or until it’s heated fully.
8. Lastly, place the stars and stripes on a [prep lined with a baking paper] baking tray, brush with egg whites and sprinkle a light coating of sugar. Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly golden, then take them out and place them onto a wired cool rack. Once cooled, arrange it on top of the tart.
9. And serve!