The Sunday before advent (actually it was last Sunday but I, er… forgot) is traditionally Stir-up-Sunday, which basically means you should start making your Christmas pudding and feeding that Christmas cake.
I discovered this amazing fact at a recent Stir-up-Sunday bloggers event at Sainsbury’s way back in September I think! Seemed crazy then thinking about Christmas but they had invited chef Dan Lepard along and he cooked up a freefrom Christmas storm.
Read what Michelle Berriedale-Johnson from FoodsMatter has to say about Stir up Sunday and also check out her Christmas Pudding recipe which is dairy, lactose, gluten, wheat, soya and can be egg and nut free.
So I’m a week late but on Sunday I plan to cook up a batch of Dan’s gluten, dairy and nut free mince pies.
Mince Pies with Golden Mincemeat
Just look at the shine. The rich, dark fruity colours. Promising spice and sweetness.
Dan Lepard’s mincemeat looks so tasty and it was delicious.
The first mince pie always signals for me the start of festivities. We used to put the tree up quite late and would often have the first mince pie whilst positioning baubles and fairy lights.
Dietary requirements:
- gluten-free
- wheat-free
- dairy-free
- egg-free
- vegan
- nut-free
Golden Mincemeat
This recipe is perfect for guests who don’t like dark dried fruit like raisins or currants and makes enough for 2 large (900g) jars.
What you’ll need
- 500g ‘yellow’ Mixed Dried Fruit, finely diced (this recipe uses 150g soft dried mangoes, 150g dried sour cherries and 200g soft dried apricots; other dried fruits such as peaches are also good if you can find them)
- 3 dessert apples, peeled, cored and finely diced (about 500g unprepared weight)
- 150-200g Mixed Peel (the best quality you can find), finely diced
- 1 tsp each Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Valencian Orange Extract, and Sicilian Lemon Extract
- ¾ tsp each Ground Cloves, Nutmeg and Cinnamon
- 150g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 125ml Brandy or Rum, plus more to top up
How to make them
1. Mix everything together, spoon into sterilised jars and top with a little more brandy before sealing tightly with screw-on lids before storing.
TIP: You can sterilise jam jars by placing them in the oven at 140°C for 10 minutes. Wash the lids in soapy water, rinse well, and allow to dry before use.
Gluten-free Shortcrust
Psyllium husk powder mixed with a little water makes a gel that acts like gluten, and makes the dough easier to roll.
This recipe makes about 615g of pastry, enough for about 18 shallow mince pies.
What you’ll need
- 75ml Cold Water
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Psyllium Husk Powder (2 level 15ml measuring spoons)
- 300g Doves Farm gluten-free Plain White Flour
- 75g Icing Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Gluten-free Baking Powder
- 200g Sainsbury’s Baking Block, (or Stork)
- Extra Gluten-free Flour for rolling
How to make them
- Pour the water into a small bowl, add the vanilla extract and sprinkle on the psyllium husk powder. Immediately stir until smooth, then leave undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile put the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl, and rub in the Sainsbury’s baking block/stork.
- Add in the psyllium mixture, which should have thickened to a gel, and mix to a smooth dough.
- Leave to sit for 10 minutes then roll and bake as required.
Tips for the best results
- Dust the work surface with gluten-free flour before you roll the pastry out thinly, and if necessary, dust the pastry lightly as you work it. Gluten-free pastry is inclined to be a little crumbly, and to bake to a slightly ‘biscuity’ texture, so shallow mince pies are a safer bet than the deep filled type.
- For mince pies, baking for 20 minutes at 200°C/180°C fan should be long enough; 25 minutes if you want a crispier finish.
- Allow the mince pies to cool slightly in the tins before you move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
They’re better than shop bought mince pies
I made these again on Christmas Day and they were so good everyone ate them.
The shop bought ones that I bought for the normal people remained uneaten which was lovely and made me very proud but I’m not used to sharing my special food and next time I’m not sharing them .
They were soooo good. But I was allowed to have the last one.
Be careful when they come out of the oven, they look so good but trust me, please let them cool down before sampling. I didn’t and burnt my mouth. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Lastly, if you fancy having a go at making these, Dan has kindly made a video explaining exactly how to do it.
Have you made your own mince pies? What are you cooking for Christmas this year?
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