Gluten Free Mince Pies
Ingredients
Sweet pastry
1 ½ cups of rice flour
½ cup of potato starch
160g cold organic butter cut into small pieces
1/3cup of coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
Fruit mince
300g apples, finely diced with skin removed (I prefer to use golden delicious or pink lady as they are naturally sweet & delicious)
150 g raisins
50g cranberries or sun-dried cherries
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 orange (you will need the zest from ½ orange)
250 ml fresh apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
Combine the apples, raisins & cranberries into a pot then add the apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla & the zest from the orange. Then, allow to simmer over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, while stirring occasionally. If your mixture requires more plumpness you may add some more apple juice & allow this to simmer for another 30 minutes.
Remove from heat & allow the mixture to cool naturally.
To make the pastry, sift the dry ingredients together twice. Place the butter in a food processor with the sifted flour & coconut sugar, & process until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add water & process until the mixture comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate the ingredients. Turn out onto baking paper & shape into a ball & flatten slightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees & prepare your cup cake baking tray with coconut oil.
Roll out the pastry & use a circular cake cutting mold to shape the base of your pie then add one generous heaped tablespoon of fruit mince in the center of your base & place pastry topping gently on top.
The pastry for this recipe is so delicious & buttery you would never know its gluten free.
The fruit mince for this recipe is full of wonderful blood balancing spices & pure fruit. This recipe may not be fully vegan but is much healthier & more delicious alternative to a standard mince pie.
