Four ways with mince pies
Throw caution to the wind by putting a tasty twist on this Christmas classic. See below for our four favourite mince pie remixes:
1. Top with scrumptious meringue
There are few things we like more than tasty pastry, but a strong contender is meringue. Make your mince pies as normal (minus the tops and with a little less mincemeat than usual), and bake in the oven until nearly ready. When the pies are almost done, whisk up two egg whites until they form stiff peaks before gradually adding in 100g of caster sugar until you have a stiff glossy meringue. Spoon on top of the pies and bake for five minutes. Yummy.
2. Give them a continental twist with a macaroon top
Macaroons are all the rage at the moment, so why not make your pies look like they have come straight from the window of the finest French patisserie by finishing them off with a tasty macaroon hat? Bake the pies (minus the tops and with a little less mincemeat than usual) for ten minutes and when they are almost ready whisk two egg whites to form stiff peaks. The next step is to fold in 75g caster sugar and 75g of ground almonds. Spoon the mix on top of the mince pies, making sure it touches the pastry all around and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
3. Two-in-one – can’t decide between Stollen and a mince pie? Try our Stollen mince pies
Prepare your pies as normal (minus the tops and with a little less mincemeat than usual) and put them to one side. Now whizz 50g Madeira cake, 50g ground almonds, 50g butter and 1 egg yolk in a food processer. Once suitably broken down, transfer to a bowl and add 100g of finely diced marzipan and 3 tbsp candied peel. Mix together and then use the mixture to top the pies. Scatter with flaked almonds and bake in an oven preheated to 200C for 20-25 minutes.
4. Make your mince pies zing with a citrus twist
If you find all the flavours of Christmas very rich then a great way to inject a little freshness is to add some citrus to your pies. Try grating some orange zest into your pastry or mincemeat mix and drizzle with icing made from citrus juice, zest and icing sugar for a fresher flavour.
Do you have any mince pie recipes with a difference? If so please share them in the comments below.