If you love chocolate and you love mince pies, these are perfect. They have a buttery, crisp and flaky chocolate pastry fill with a homemade chocolate studded mincemeat dusted with icing sugar. These mince pies are great warm from the oven or cold served with tea or as a dessert. To warm them back up, pop a mince pie in the oven for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt again.
By Nourishing Amy
Christmas Tree Brownies
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Serves: Serves 12 People
Ingredients
For the chocolate mincemeat
250g mixed dried fruits
25g vegan butter
½ large or 1 small apple, peeled, cored and chopped small
120ml orange juice
30g light brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
70g Dark Raspberry Chocolate, chopped small
For the chocolate pastry
150g plain flour, plus extra
30g icing sugar, plus extra
20g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
115g vegan butter
2-3 tbsp cold water or plant-based milk, plus extra
Method
Step 1
Make the chocolate mincemeat: add the mixed fruits, butter, apple, orange juice, sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan and bring to the boil, allowing the butter to melt. Simmer over a medium-high heat, stirring often for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has ben absorbed and the fruits are glossy. Allow to cool while you make the pastry.
Step 2
For the pastry: add the flour, icing sugar, cacao powder and salt to a blender and pulse to mix. Cube the butter and add to the blender and pulse to form a crumbly mix. Now gradually ad in 2 tbsp of cold water or plant-based milk to reach a sticky, smooth dough. Add more water/milk as needed.
Step 3
Tip out onto a surface and bring to a ball with your hands. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Step 4
When ready to make the mince pies, preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and grease 12-14 cupcake holes.
Step 5
Stir the chopped chocolate into the mincemeat (it’s OK if it’s not cold, just cooler).
Step 6
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the chocolate dough using parchment or more flour on top. Roll the dough to about ½ cm thickness. Cut out 12 or 14 bases and the same number of tops or stars to go on top. You will need to re-roll the pastry a few times to use it all up.
Step 7
Place the base pastry rounds in the tins, fill each with 1 tsp of the chocolate mincemeat, to the brim. Brush the edges with plant-based milk and secure the tops in place. Brush the tops with more milk.
Step 8
Bake for 25-28 minutes or until crisp on top and cooked through.
Step 9
Carefully remove from the tins and enjoy warm or cold with a dusting of icing sugar.
Step 10
. Keep the mince pies at room temperature in a sealed container for 3-5 days. Any leftover mincemeat will keep for 5-7 days in the fridge in a sealed jar.
