Growing up in England, it never really felt like the Christmas season until the sweet mince pies made an appearance. They truly are the best part of a traditional British Christmas. But they don’t just have to be saved for Christmas day. I make the a few days before because I love them so much and can’t be confined to enjoying just one day. For this mince pie recipe,I make my own mincemeat recipe. It is a tasty combination of currants, raisins, brandy, apples, candied orange peel, orange and lemon zest, spices and brown sugar.
Making Mincemeat Pie Filling Ahead of Time
Traditional mince pies taste best if the sweet mincemeat is made ahead of time and has time to sit and let the flavors of the orange zest, lemon zest, fruits, brandy and spices combine. Overnight is fine, but at least 1 week to a month is better. If you don’t have time for this, no problem they are still really good.
Storing Cooked Mincemeat
If making ahead to store for Christmas, store in well-sealed sterilized jars in a cool, dry place. You can also store in a sealed container, refrigerated for up to 1 month. Because of the sugar content (and if you add alcohol), this helps the preservation.
Mincemeat Without Suet
Traditional Christmas mince pies have beef suet in the filling. Suet is brand of shredded beef fat in the U.K. Since I am an expat living in the U.S., it’s not easy for me to buy so I have constructed this recipe without it. But don’t worry, they still taste just as good.
Best pastry for homemade mince pies
My homemade shortcrust pastry that is made very easily in the food processor by blending the flour with cold butter for the flaky, buttery pastry. This is my go-to pastry for my sweet and savory pies. Speaking of pies (and not to be confused with mince pie filling) In England we also have a savory mince pie which is made with ground beef. Before I started writing my own recipes, I used to make recipes from the British chefs Delia Smith or Jamie Oliver. I am so glad I now have my own recipe that I am so happy with and all the readers who have made them are too. Would you believe that these pies used to actually be made with meat? I think we can all think the evolution of the recipe to make them now fruit mince pies and happy to never try the meat version.
Best baking pan for fruit mincemeat pies
I use a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
Christmas themed
Since these pies are traditional served at Christmas time, I used my favorite pastry cutters to cut out snowflake shapes for the top to make them more festive.
Storing Mince Pies
Store cooled mince pies in an airtight container to prevent them absorbing any surrounding flavors or odors. Store in a cool, dry place like a cabinet. Avoid the fridge as this can affect the texture. Room temperature is best and consume within 1 week.
Freezing mince pies
Already baked and cooled, they do well when individually wrapped in plastic wrap then in an airtight container. Make sure to date them and they will last for 2-3 months.
Kid friendly Mince Pies
They are for the whole family, but if you choose not to serve brandy to children, you can substitute the brandy with apple cider/juice or orange juice. If you’ve tried these Christmas Sweet Mince Pies please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also ask a question or leave a comment at the end of the page.
