Are you ready?
In the midst of freelancing, festive reading, and writing many, many lists, I feel like I’m well overdue a mince pie. At this point, some brandy with fruit might even suffice.
But it’s so very nearly the big day, and that means it’s time to put the finishing touches to the Christmas menu (where’s that brandy?).
So of course, there will have to be pies!
Rich & Fruity Vegan Mince Pies
Now then. If you’re not a mince pie fan, there’s no need to look away. These aren’t sickly sweet at all – in fact, there’s very little added sugar.
But they are:
- packed with brandy-marinated vegan mincemeat;
- encased in a simple but delicious almond and oat pastry;
- made from great whole-food ingredients;
- totally vegan;
- easily gluten-free adaptable; and
- simple to make!
So if you’re looking for an easy homemade alternative to shop-bought mince pies, these won’t disappoint. I’m not even a pastry maker, but after a couple of attempts, I think this almond-oat crust works really well. It’s a little sweet, and bakes to a lovely crumb.
I hope you have the most wonderful Christmas, and have some exciting things planned for 2018.
See you next year!
- 120g rolled oats
- 80g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of good salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple puree*
- 1 tbsp water
- Vegan mincemeat
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Blitz the oats in a food processor to make oat flour.
- Pour this into a mixing bowl with the ground almonds, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Give it all a little mix.
- Now add the coconut oil, apple puree and water. Rub together using your hands, to make a dough. If you need to add more water, do so a drop at a time.
- Roll out the dough to about ½ cm thick. I find this works best on a silicone baking mat, to prevent sticking. This 'pastry' is pretty crumbly, so you will need to work with it a little (and be gentle!), but it does get there.
- Cut out discs using a pastry cutter (this recipe makes 6 mini mince pies), and stars/discs for the lids.
- Press each circle into the tray, fill with mincemeat, and top with a lid.
- Cook for 12-14 minutes, then leave in the tray to cool.
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