Nothing screams Christmas quite like a mince pie. They’re sweet, comforting and pair perfectly with cream.
Simply put, they’re a festive indulgence many of us can’t resist. Despite having tasted many over the years, I’d never actually baked them myself until this year.
I’ve always fancied a bit of Christmas baking but, due to the seasonal rush, I’ve never found the time. Recently, I brushed off my apron and got stuck in.
Although I’m a traditionalist at heart, I decided to try something a little different. After seeing various recipes for pies made with filo pastry on TikTok, I decided to try the viral culinary delight.
However, keen to stay true to my roots, I followed a recipe by Jamie Oliver. While many of my generation may remember him for his campaign against turkey twizzlers in school meals, I have come to depend on him for fail-safe recipes, and the food legend hasn’t let me down yet.
As well as looking super tasty, the recipe also caught my eye for another reason – you didn’t have to make pastry. I love to cook, but my baking skills aren’t quite as developed, so I thought it seemed do-able for someone who’s not that skilled.
To be honest, I was right. Basically, all it involved was making a mincemeat rolly polly with puff pastry and then cutting it up to pop into the filo pastry pockets.
A scattering of flaked almonds and icing sugar, and that was pretty much all there is to it. There were two things I did differently though that probably put a twist on my festive treats.
Firstly, I upped the amount of mincemeat as I wanted my pies to be super fruity and full. I also swapped the clementines for orange zest – simply because I couldn’t find clementines at my local supermarket.
Nonetheless, they still tasted pretty good. The pastry was flaky and light, the mincemeat mixture was zesty and warming and they didn’t leave you feeling like you’d eaten too much either.
If you’re looking for a pie that’s lighter, crispy and that comes with a little added crunch then this recipe is well worth giving a whirl. It’s like a mince pie you’ve never tasted before, but it also takes festive eating to new heights.
To make things better, you don’t even have to make pastry to reap the rewards. Just make sure you have a skewer on hand to ensure it’s cooked – it will come out clean when the pastry is ready.
Jamie Oliver’s mince pie recipe
- 100g good-quality mincemeat
- 25g dried cranberries or blueberries, chopped
- Zest of two clementines
- A splash of sherry or brandy
- Flour, to dust
- 250g good puff pastry
- One pack filo pastry
- 50g melted butter
- One free-range egg, beaten
- 50g flaked almonds
- Icing sugar, to dust
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/Gas 6. Pop the mincemeat into a mixing bowl together with the cranberries, clementine zest and brandy or sherry.
- Put a little flour on your work surface, and roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle (around 20cm x 40cm and to the thickness of a pound coin). Then spread the mincemeat over the pastry, while leaving a 1cm gap around the edges. Tightly roll up the pastry lengthways, just like a Swiss roll, and place it on a floured tray before popping it in the fridge to firm up.
- Grab two cupcake trays (for 12 cupcakes each) and lightly coat each one with the melted butter. Place a layer of filo pastry over the tray (you may need more to cover one tray – it all depends on how big they are), and gently press the pastry into each hole. Brush with more melted butter, and repeat the process with another layer.
- Remove the puff pastry roll from the fridge and, and cut into 24 slices. Then, place each slice into the filo-lined holes, while ensuring you can see the swirl. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle a few flaked almonds on top of each.
- Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Once cool, crack the pies out of the tin, and dust with a little icing sugar.