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    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Fruit Mince Pies

    Published: Oct 28, 2023 · Modified: Nov 14, 2023 by Libby Hakim · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These precious little pastries, filled with a medley of fruits and spices, will add a touch of magic to your Christmas table.

    They're sold in bakeries and supermarkets at Christmas time – but baking up a batch of homemade Fruit Mince Pies will deliver some extra special Christmas joy.

    The Recipe for Fruit Mince Pies

    Fruit Mince Pies, also called Mincemeat Pies, were originally filled with actual meat. During the 15th century, King Henry V served such a mincemeat pie at his coronation.

    It's thought that the idea for these pies was originally brought back to Britain from the Middle East – where spices and fruit were often used in savoury and sweet meat dishes – during the Crusades of the Middle Ages.

    The British version of this recipe has evolved over the centuries, and these days we only include the sweet and fruity stuff in the mincemeat filling.

    While the actual meat filling didn't survive the test of time, the association between these pies and Christmas has endured.

    During the Middle Ages, eating a mince pie for 12 days from Christmas day was believed to bring happiness for the next 12 months!

    During the Tudor period, they pies were shaped like a manger and made from 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples – symbolising the Christmas story. 

    Today, the Christmas symbolism is often in the form of a festive-themed pastry topper.

    Timeline for making Mincemeat Pies

    If you're planning to bake up a batch of Fruit Mince Pies for Christmas this year, well, you've made a great decision.

    It's not a difficult recipe. However, you do need to keep in mind that the fruit mince is usually made in advance to allow the flavours to meld.

    TIP: Make your fruit mince at least 2 weeks before you make your pies, if possible. The fruit mince will last up to 4 months in the fridge, so you can even get it ready as early as September!

    Another thing to keep in mind is that this recipe makes 18 mini pies. So double, triple or multiply the ingredient quantities as required if you're cooking for a crowd.

    One more thing – you can freeze the pies for up to a few months and they last in the fridge for up to a week. You'll find more details about this below, but I'm mentioning it here also as it may be helpful in planning out your Christmas cooking schedule.

    Ingredients for Fruit Mince

    The ingredients you'll need are:

    • raisins, chopped
    • sultanas, chopped
    • currants
    • mixed peel
    • apple, peeled, cored and diced into small cubes
    • lemon, juice and rind
    • orange, juice and rind
    • butter
    • brown sugar
    • brandy
    • mixed spice
    • nutmeg
    • cinnamon
    • ground cloves.

    The ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Making Fruit Mince

    Making the fruit mince is a straightforward process.

    Simply place all of the ingredients, except the brandy, into a saucepan.

    Heat gently, stirring, to allow the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve.

    Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for 3 minutes.

    Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir the brandy through the mixture.

    Yes, it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!

    Pop the warm fruit mince mixture into a sterilised jar and seal.

    Allow to cool to room temperature and then store in the fridge until you are ready to make the pies. Remember, ideally, you want to make up the mixture at least 2 weeks in advance of making the pies.

    So, let's fast forward now and start making the pastry for our pies.

    Ingredients for Fruit Mince Pie Pastry

    The ingredients you'll need are:

    • plain flour / all purpose flour, sifted 
    • icing sugar / powdered/confectioners sugar
    • butter, chilled and chopped
    • lemon juice
    • egg
    • cold water
    • caster sugar / superfine sugar.

    The ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Pastry for Fruit Mince Pies

    If you have a food processor or chopper, you can whip up the pastry in minutes.

    Process the flour, icing sugar and butter until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs.

    Then add the egg yolk and lemon juice and process until the mixture holds together.

    If you don't have access to this equipment, simply rub the butter into the flour and icing mixture with your hands until it resembles very fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and lemon juice and knead the mixture together for a couple of minutes.

    Whichever method you use, once the pastry is ready you want to wrap it in food wrap and place in the fridge for half an hour.

    How to make Fruit Mince Pies

    Once you place your pastry in the fridge to chill, pre-heat your oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit) and grease 18 holes of patty/muffin pans.

    Rolling out your pastry

    Roll out the pastry between sheets of baking paper until about 3-4mm thick.

    Next, cut out 18 x 9cm circles. Gently press each circle into one of the holes.

    Adding the fruit mince

    Stir the fruit mince mixture and spoon it into the cases (about ⅔ full).

    TIP: Don't fill the cases more than ⅔ full with fruit mince. Overfilling may cause the mixture to bubble out of the cases during baking.

    Adding pastry tops

    Roll out the pastry again and cut out 9 x 6cm circles. Also cut out a small shape from inside each of the circles. Place the circles on half of the pies and cutouts on the other half.

    Whisk the egg white and water together and brush over the tops of the pies.

    Finally, sprinkle the caster sugar over the tops of the pies.

    Bake the pies for 20 minutes.

    Enjoying Fruit Mince Pies

    Enjoy fruit mince pies warm or cool.

    Once cool, you can dust with icing sugar if desired.

    Serve just as they are or with custard, cream, creme fraiche or brandy butter.

    Recipe FAQs

    Q. How long do fruit mince pies last?

    They should keep for up to a week in the fridge, though are best served fresh.

    Q. Can you freeze fruit mince pies?

    Yes. Wrap well and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months.

    Q. Do you have other traditional Christmas recipes?

    I sure do! You might like my recipes for Brandy Snaps, White Christmas, Trifle, Florentine Slice, Christmas Cake, Rum Balls, Pavlova, and Christmas Pudding.

    fruit mince pies

    Fruit Mince Pies

    Libby Hakim
    A traditional festive treat, with a sweet and spicy fruit "mincemeat" filling in a crispy, golden pastry case.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 23 minutes mins
    Total Time 53 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Australian, British, New Zealand
    Servings 18 mini pies
    Calories 12 kcal

    Equipment

    • cupcake/patty pan
    • 9 and 6 cm crinkle scone cutters
    • small star or festive-shaped cutter (that fits easily inside the 6cm cutter)

    Ingredients
      

    Fruit Mince

    • ½ cup raisins, chopped (70 grams)
    • ½ cup sultanas, chopped (80 grams)
    • ½ cup currants (70 grams)
    • ¼ cup mixed peel (40 grams)
    • ½ apple, peeled, cored and diced into small cubes
    • ½ lemon, juice and rind
    • ½ orange, juice and rind
    • 50 grams butter
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup brandy
    • ½ teaspoon mixed spice
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

    Fruit Mince Pie Pastry

    • 2 cups plain / all purpose flour, sifted (300 grams)
    • 2 tablespoons icing / powdered / confectioners sugar (20 grams)
    • 180 grams butter, chilled and chopped
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon cold water
    • 1 tablespoon caster /superfine sugar

    Instructions
     

    Fruit Mince

    • Place all ingredients except the brandy into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, to allow butter to melt and sugar to dissolve. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 3 minutes.
    • Remove mixture from heat, and stir brandy through the mixture.
    • Place into a sterilised jar and seal. Allow to cool to room temperature and then store in fridge (ideally for 2 weeks) until you are ready to make the pies.

    Pastry

    • Process flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor or chopper until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs.
    • Add egg yolk and lemon juice and process until mixture holds together.
    • Wrap pastry mixture in food wrap and place in fridge for half an hour.

    Fruit Mince Pies

    • Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
    • Grease 18 holes of patty/muffin pans.
    • Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until about 3-4mm thick. Cut out 18 x 9cm circles and gently press into holes.
    • Stir fruit mince mixture and spoon it into the cases (about ⅔ full).
    • Roll out pastry again and cut out 9 x 6cm circles. Cut out small shape from inside each of the circles. Place the circles on half of the pies and cutouts on the other half.
    • Whisk egg white and water together and brush over tops of pies.
    • Sprinkle caster sugar over tops of pies.
    • Bake pies for 20 minutes.
    • Enjoy warm or cool. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

    Notes

    Your fruit mince pies should keep for up to a week in the fridge, though are best served fresh.
    You can also wrap well and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months.
    TIP: Make your fruit mince at least 2 weeks before you make your pies, if possible. The fruit mince will last up to 4 months in the fridge, so you can even get it ready as early as September!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 0.3gVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?If you love it, let me know!

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    Hi, I'm Libby, a recipe collector and writer. I love everything about home cooking and share modern classics and recipes that have been passed down for generations – I hope you find a few that bring back treasured memories.

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