How to make mince pies in your air fryer
Air fryers: is there anything they can't do? Not if this air fryer mince pie recipe is anything to go by. With perfect pastry and delicious homemade mincemeat filling, these little Christmas treats are impossible to resist – especially when served warm.
Tip: You'll need to set aside your mincemeat mixture for an hour to allow the flavours to develop. Low on time? Swap homemade mincemeat for shop-bought for an easy hack.
Ingredients
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
- 165 g brown sugar
- 90 g sultanas
- 45 g currant
- 45 g blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red glacé cherries, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mixed peel
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 25 g butter, melted
- 60 ml gin
- 1 sprinkle of icing (powdered) sugar, to dust
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
- 5.8 oz brown sugar
- 3.2 oz sultanas
- 1.6 oz currant
- 1.6 oz blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red glacé cherries, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mixed peel
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.9 oz butter, melted
- 2.1 fl oz gin
- 1 sprinkle of icing (powdered) sugar, to dust
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
- 5.8 oz brown sugar
- 3.2 oz sultanas
- 1.6 oz currant
- 1.6 oz blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp red glacé cherries, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mixed peel
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.9 oz butter, melted
- 0.3 cup gin
- 1 sprinkle of icing (powdered) sugar, to dust
- 300 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 55 g caster (super-fine) sugar
- 185 g butter, chilled, chopped
- 1 egg, separated
- 60 ml milk
- 10.6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1.9 oz caster (super-fine) sugar
- 6.5 oz butter, chilled, chopped
- 1 egg, separated
- 2.1 fl oz milk
- 10.6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1.9 oz caster (super-fine) sugar
- 6.5 oz butter, chilled, chopped
- 1 egg, separated
- 0.3 cup milk
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Christmas
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 60 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- Use your hands to squeeze excess moisture from the apple. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, sultanas, currants, almonds, cherries, peel, mixed spice, cinnamon, butter and gin. Stir well to combine. Set aside for 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop.
- Meanwhile, place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg yolk (reserve the egg white) and milk, and process until the dough just comes together.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick.
- Use a round 8cm (3in) diameter pastry cutter to cut 18 cases from the pastry. Line eighteen 2.5cm (1in) deep, 4cm (1.5in) base, 7cm (2.5in) top loose-based patty pans.
- Reroll leftover pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 7cm (2.75in) diameter pastry cutter to cut 18 further discs from the pastry.
- Transfer the fruit mixture to a fine sieve over a bowl and stir to remove excess liquid. Divide the fruit mixture among the pastry cases.
- Beat the egg white until frothy. Brush the pastry discs with a little egg white.
- Top the pastry cases, egg white-down, with pastry discs. Press the edges to seal, trimming any excess pastry.
- Reroll any leftover pastry and use a 6.5 cm star cutter to cut 18 stars. Brush the tops of the pies with a little of the remaining egg white.
- Place a star on the top of each pie. Brush the stars with egg white.
- Preheat a 7-litre air fryer to 160°C/320°F for 3 minutes.
- Carefully place 6 mince pies in the basket. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
- Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining pies. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust the pies with icing (powdered) sugar to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Wren Kitchens. Image: Natallia Harahliad/Shutterstock
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