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Discovering Mince Pies: A Sweet Taste of British Christmas
Before I met Peter, my British husband, I had no clue what mince pies were. And when I first heard the term “mincemeat,” I thought it involved actual meat. Imagine my surprise when I learned that mincemeat is actually a mix of spiced fruits—kind of like the filling in a fruitcake.
In the UK, it’s a beloved tradition to enjoy mince pies at Christmas and throughout the holiday season. Now, every year, I make them for our Christmas dinner to bring a piece of Peter’s motherland to our celebration. They’re surprisingly delicious, and even my mom has become a fan!
Bite-Sized Perfection
I love making these little treats in a mini muffin tin. The smaller size creates the perfect, poppable bite—just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without being too rich. Plus, they look so cute on a holiday dessert platter!
The Best Way to Serve Them
Peter swears by serving mince pies with a generous pour of heavy cream, and I have to admit—I’m hooked, too. It’s like dipping cookies in milk, but a far more decadent and festive version. The buttery pastry and spiced fruit filling combined with the cool cream? Absolute holiday magic.
So, if you’re looking to add a little British flair to your Christmas table, give these mince pies a try. They might just become your new holiday tradition, too!
Mince Pies
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 260 g unsalted butter, softened
- 125 g sugar
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 14.5 oz jar mincemeat
- 2 satsumas, segmented and then chopped
- 1 apple, minced
- 1 zest of a whole lemon
Ingredients:
- powder sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, add flour and butter and rub together to a crumb consistency.
- Add sugar and 1 beaten egg and mix together.
- On a lightly floured surface, fold the pastry dough until it comes together. Form it into a round somewhat flattened ball. Be careful not to over mix.
- Wrap the pastry dough in saran wrap and chill for at least 10 minutes.
- While the pastry dough is chilling, in a bowl, add all the filling ingredients together. Set aside.
- Remove pastry dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour surface area and using a rolling pin, roll out dough until it’s 1/8 inch thick. Make sure to roll rolling pin in one direction. Never roll the pin back and forth on the dough as it will pull the dough apart.
- You will need to re-roll the dough to get enough cut outs.
- Using a round 1 ½ inch to 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 48 pieces. Place 24 cutouts as a base in a mini muffin pan. You do not need to oil or butter the muffin pan.
- Add 1 tsp filling to each hole, then brush the edge of each pie with the beaten egg. Seal pie with the remaining cutouts.
- Make a small cut in the tops.
- Place muffin tray in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until pies are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Dust powder sugar on top then serve!
Nutrition
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