A fun and fruity twist on a festive classic. These frangipane and cranberry mince pies have a subtle flavour of marzipan and are sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Makes 24 pies.
Ingredients and Method
Ingredients
- For the pastry:
- 300g Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting
- 140g Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 55g Lard, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp Water
- For Frangipane:
- 125g Unsalted Butter
- 125g Caster Sugar
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 100g Ground Almonds
- For the filling:
- 400g Mincemeat
- 100g Cranberries, boil before adding to mincemeat
- 110ml Water
- 110ml Orange Juice
- 190g Sugar
Method
- For the pastry add the flour, butter and lard in a mixing bowl. Rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add water and knead into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6.
- For Frangipane, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs until smooth. Then stir in the ground almonds and flour.
- Boil the water and orange juice in a pan, add the sugar and dissolve. Add the cranberries and boil until soft, drain and when cool mix with the mincemeat.
- Roll chilled pastry onto a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick, then cut out 24 rounds using a 10cm round cutter. Line the rounds into a muffin tray and place a teaspoon of the cranberry and mincemeat mixture in each pastry case.
- Top each pie with a heaped teaspoon of frangipane mixture, then place completed tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack before dusting with icing sugar.