Vegan Mince Pies Food

VEGAN MINCE PIES

Steps:

• You ideally need to prepare the mincemeat the day before you bake the vegan mince pies. Start by placing the currants, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, mixed peel, soft brown sugar, almonds, coconut oil, grated bramley apple, spices and orange zest and juice in a large saucepan.
• Heat gently, stirring, until the coconut oil has melted then simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little then stir in the booze of your choice. Ladle it into two large, or four regular sized sterilised jars and set aside until completely cold (overnight is best).
• To make the coconut oil pastry, place the flour, icing sugar, salt and orange zest in a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Add the cold, diced coconut oil and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make sure that no lumps of coconut oil remain; you may need to blend it in two batches if your food processor isn't very big.
• Add the cold vodka and 2 Tbsp water and blend again until the pastry starts to come together. You can add a drop more water if needed. Bring the pastry together with your hands.
• Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured surface and use an approx 10-11cm cutter to cut out rounds (I cut round the base of a small tart tin with a sharp knife as I don't have a cutter big enough). It may be easier to roll out a quarter of the pastry at a time rather than all of it in one go. (If the pastry is too soft then you can pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up a little but don't let it get too cold or it will be hard to roll out.)
• Line a 12 cup muffin tray with strips of baking parchment - this makes it easy to get the baked vegan mince pies out of the tin. Gently press the pastry rounds into the prepared tin.
• Fill each one with a heaped spoonful of the mincemeat - be generous but don't fill them right to the top as it will bubble up as it cooks.
• Re-roll the pastry trimmings and use a cutter the same size as the cavities in your muffin tin to cut out six rounds. Use a star cutter to cut a star out of the centre of each round.
• Top each of the mince pies with either a star or a round. If you are topping them with a round then brush the edge of the pastry with water and press the top down firmly around the edge to seal.
• Place the tray of mince pies in the freezer for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
• Brush the tops of the mince pies with a little non-dairy milk then bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Use the strips of baking parchment to lift them out of the tin onto a wire rack and leave to cool before eating. Don't leave them to cool in the tin as any mincemeat that bubbles over will cement them in!

EASY VEGAN MINCE PIES

Steps:

• To make the vegan mincemeat, simply combine all mincemeat ingredients in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Simmer for around 30-40 minutes until the mincemeat mixture is thick and very sticky. Make sure to stir it once in a while.
• Leave the mincemeat mixture to cool while you make 1 recipe of my Vegan Pie Crust. You will probably have extra pie crust left over, but that is okay!
• Preheat oven to 425F
• Roll out your pie crust until it is about 2-3mm thick. Use a cookie cutter or a circular glass to cut out rounds big enough to completely fill the Mince Pie Tin or a mini muffin tin. You want to make sure that each hole is filled with the thin layer of dough. If you want to crimp the edges, you can do so!
• Fill each hole with enough vegan mincemeat to fill it up completely.
• Roll your dough again into a 2-3mm thick sheet and cut out your designs for the top of the mince pies. You can use a cookie cutter to cut shapes such as stars or you can just make a full circle to cover the top of the mince pie. Crimp the edges. Make sure to poke holes for a "vent" if you are making the full tops for the pie and not using a design such as a star. If you are making stars, make sure to press them firmly into the mince pie.
• Brush the tops of the mince pies first with aquafaba [liquid from the chickpea can] and then with non-dairy milk for the perfect vegan eggwash!
• Cook for 20-25 minutes until the tops of the pies are golden.
• Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Do not let them cool in the tin or they will get soggy!
• Eat them warm and topped with brandy butter, which is a mixture of vegan butter, brandy and sugar!

VEGAN MINCE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip all the mincemeat ingredients into a casserole dish or roasting tray - be sure to include half the kirsch from the jar of cherries. Mix everything together, then cover with a lid or a sheet of foil. Bake for 35-40 mins until all the sugar has melted, the mixture is bubbling slightly at the edges and the liquid has reduced (the mixture firms a bit as it cools, so be careful not to over-reduce). Set aside to cool completely. Can be made up to three days in advance and chilled in the fridge.
• To make the pastry: tip the flour and coconut oil to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to just combine, then pour in the vodka and 2 tbsp ice-cold water and pulse until the pastry is just coming together. Add another 2 tbsp water if a little dry, then tip the dough onto a clean surface and pat into a disc with your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
• Take the pastry out of the fridge. Cut off one-third of the pastry and keep covered under a tea towel. Cut the rest into five chunks and, one chunk at a time, squeeze with your hands until malleable, then roll out on a well-floured surface to a thickness of 0.5cm. Cut out circles using a 9cm cookie cutter and line 18 holes of two 12-hole cupcake tins. Repeat with the rest of the pastry chunks, re-rolling off-cuts where necessary.
• Put a heaped spoonful of mincemeat in the middle of each circle, then put the pies in the fridge. Take the remaining pastry from under the tea towel and roll out to 0.5cm thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Chill for 15 mins to firm up.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Remove the pastry sheet from the fridge and use an 8cm cookie cutter to cut out nine circles, then use a star cutter to cut out the middles. Bring the mince pies out of the fridge and top half of them with the stars and the other half with the stamped-out circles. Use your fingers to seal the tops and bases, then brush the tops with milk. Bake for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and the tops are golden. Cool a little, then dust with a little icing sugar to serve.