Description
Delight in these festive frangipane mince pies featuring a buttery all-purpose flour pastry, a rich mincemeat fruit filling, and a luscious almond cream topping. Perfectly golden and dusted with powdered sugar, these pies make an ideal holiday treat served warm or cold with custard, cream, or ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
All Butter Pastry
- 220 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 60 ml ice cold water
Fruit Filling
- 350 g mincemeat (fruit filling)
Almond Cream (Frangipane) Topping
- 1 zest of orange
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 20 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 30 g flaked almonds
- 1 tablespoon powdered icing sugar
Instructions
- Make the Pastry: Rub the butter into the flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add cubed unsalted butter and toss to coat. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until pieces are about the size of large peas.
- Add Water and Form Dough: Gradually add ice cold water a little at a time, gently mixing with your fingertips until the dough just holds together when pressed.
- Chill the Dough: Gently shape the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Prepare Pastry Cases: Remove dough from fridge and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Using a 9 cm (3.5 inch) round cutter, cut out pastry rounds.
- Line Cupcake Tray: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly flour the cupcake tray and press each dough round into the molds, ensuring the dough lines the base and sides evenly without reaching the top edge.
- Add Fruit Filling: Spoon 2 tablespoons of mincemeat into each pastry case, spreading evenly over the base.
- Make Frangipane Topping: Rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar to release oils and flavor. Cream the butter and orange sugar together using an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
- Add Eggs and Dry Ingredients: Lightly whisk eggs and add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating until combined (mixture may look slightly curdled, which is normal). Then incorporate ground almonds, plain flour, and salt, mixing until thick and fully combined.
- Top Fruit Filling with Frangipane: Transfer the frangipane mixture into a piping or sandwich bag with the tip cut off, and pipe or spoon it evenly over the mincemeat filling in each pastry case.
- Decorate and Bake: Sprinkle flaked almonds over the tops of each frangipane-covered pie. Cover the entire tray loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the pastry and almond topping are golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Let the pies cool in the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Dust with powdered icing sugar. Serve warm or cold, plain or accompanied by custard, cream, or ice cream as desired.
Notes
- Step-by-step photos are available on the blog for visual guidance through the recipe.
- Store homemade frangipane mince pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- For freezing, cool pies completely before placing in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-crisp the pastry by baking at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes.
- Use cold butter when making the dough for optimal flakiness.
- Avoid overworking the dough to prevent tough pastry.
- Feel free to customize the mincemeat fruit filling with your preferred flavors.
- If the frangipane mixture looks curdled after adding eggs, continue mixing; the ground almonds and flour will help it come together smoothly.
- Tent the cupcake pan with foil during the initial baking stage to prevent over-browning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pie
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
