Gorgeously grown-up with a merry dash of CRU coffee and a splash of whisky for good measure, these beautiful Mince Pies are deceptively easy to make and very, very moreish. And when it comes to decorating the tops, get creative with Christmas cookie cutters, play around and let your imagination soar.
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g jar of traditional mincemeat
- 2 tablespoons of CRU Kafe Organic Signature grounds
- 3 tablespoons of whisky
- 75g dried cranberries
- 75g dried cherries
- 100g mixed chopped nuts
- 1 grated bramley apple
- Zest and juice of one clementine
- 3 x 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar
- 25g flaked almonds
- Icing sugar
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/Gas Mark 6.
- Place the mincemeat in a large mixing bowl and add in the CRU Kafe Organic Signature ground coffee, whisky, cranberries, cherries, chopped nuts, apple and clementine (both zest & juice). Mix well.
- Take the ready-rolled pastry and place on a surface dusted with flour. The pastry should be about 3mm thick. If necessary, roll the pastry out to be thinner with a rolling pin. Then use round pastry cutters to cut out the bases for the mince pies – about 10cm in diameter. Once done, place them in muffin trays and fill generously with the mincemeat.
- The mince pies can be topped with more pastry (we particularly like pastry stars or pastry holly), or if you want a lighter pie, simply top with a few chopped almonds and a sprinkle of sugar. If topping with pastry, make sure to brush the topping with beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in the muffin tray and then place on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
Whether you make your own mincemeat or use shop-bought, these laidback festive crackers will guarantee the perfect final flourish, whatever the occasion.
Giving this recipe a try & sharing on social? Make sure to tag us @CRUKafe and use the hashtag #CRUMoments
