Mince Pies
A vegan take on a classic mince pie, this recipe substitutes the traditional butter and eggs with coconut oil to create a light, moreish Christmas treat.
From the book
The Little Book of Vegan Bakes
Discover 80 plant-based recipes for the beginner to the experienced baker
From cakes to cookies, there is no compromising on taste or texture
Learn to expand your skill-set with step-by-step guides to creating crunchy honeycomb, or luscious chocolate ganache
Introduction
I love relaxing on the sofa at Christmas with a warm mince pie in hand watching a Harry Potter movie marathon. Molly Weasley sends Harry a dozen home-baked mince pies for Christmas one year – if they tasted half as good as these, then I’m sure Harry would have devoured them all in one sitting
Ingredients
| For the pastry cases: | |
|---|---|
| 200g (1⅔ cups) | plain flour |
| 80g (½ cup plus 1tbsp) | coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing |
| 4 tbsp | maple syrup |
| For the filling: | |
| Jar of | vegan-friendly mincemeat |
| Icing sugar, for dusting |
Essential kit
You will need: 2 cupcake tins.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix and bring together with your hands or a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour – you want it to resemble pastry
Roll about 3 tablespoons of the dough between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper, until 2mm thick. Using mini cookie cutters or a sharp knife, cut out festive shapes for the tops of the mince pies and set aside.
Lightly grease 2 cupcake tins with coconut oil. Press 2 tablespoons of dough into each cupcake hole, moulding them up the sides to create a cup. Prick the bases with a fork and place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the tins from the oven. Fill each case with 2 tablespoons of mincemeat and top with a pastry shape. Return to the oven for a further 12–14 minutes, or until golden in colour. Place the tins on a cooling rack and allow the pies to cool in the tin before lifting them out.
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar. Store in a sealed container. These are best eaten within a few days of making.
Holly’s tip: As the cases contain coconut oil, the pies should slide out of the tin easily, but if not, run a knife around the edge of the holes, then lift them out.
