Real Food Friday Feast - Gluten Free Mince Pies

I started this post on Friday and I was actually making the mince pies as I was posting but things went a bit pear-shaped when I realised that I miscalculated the amount of butter I was supposed to use and so I had to re-look everything before I posted. That is why Friday's post is being posted on a Monday!

My previous post was all about indulgence in the RIGHT way. You can enjoy all your usual holiday treats without eating things that are going to make you feel flat and lacking and energy. And honestly, what would Christmas feel like without mince pies?!

Mince pies are generally made with gluten and loads of sugar, amongst other things obviously. But if you could just change those two ingredients to something healthier, you could eat them without having the bad side effects and, if it's your waistline you're concerned about, then you can eat these feeling relatively guilt-free:)

I went on the hunt for a recipe that I could make because I haven't had a mince pie for at least 10 years and I always used to love them! These are my own recipe and, given that I am not too sure what they're even supposed to taste like anymore, they may taste different to the ones you are used to but they will still be yummy!

Gluten Free Mince Pies - Makes 14

Filling:

3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins and sultanas
1 grated lemon rind
2 Tbs mango pulp
1 apricot
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbs raw honey

Pastry:

1 cup gluten free flour mix (I use Health Connection gluten-free flour mix)

4 tbs organic brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
Pinch mineral or sea salt (I used Himalayan Rock salt)

Method

Pastry:

• Preheat oven to 170ºC
• Cream together in a bowl the butter and sugar
• Add the flour and salt 
• Mix together with your fingers to form a dough
• Make like a cat and need it for a minute and then roll into a ball, put it in a container and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Filling:

• Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a rough consistency

• Line your muffin tray with a bit of butter
• Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to prevent it sticking until it's about 3mm thick
• Using a cutter, stamp out rounds and line the base of the muffin tins with these
• Gather all the trimmings together and keep rolling until you've filled your muffin tray
• Use these rounds to line the base of the tins
• Fill each with some "mincemeat" - don’t overfill them or it will bubble out during cooking

• Choose another shape if you like, (stars, hearts, etc) and cut out the tops of the pies and place over the top pushing the edges down to the rim of the pastry tin
• Cook for about 15 minutes
• Take out the oven and leave to cool
• Dust with some flour (optional) 
• Enjoy!

I don't have photos of the finished product because, due to me using too much butter in the dough, the mixture was not dry enough! They still taste good but they aren't quite like your usual mince pies;) I am definitely going to make them again, this time with the RIGHT amount of butter and I know they will work out fine:) Either way, they were delicious!

Enjoy!