Amaretto Infused Mince Pies
Time to get that filling for your mince pies ready. This Amaretto-infused filling from Talacooking.com, with hints of clementine and cranberries, is sweet, fruity and ever so slightly boozy. Perfect for this time of year!
The filling really does benefit from being made ahead of time so that the flavour has time to infuse and develop. I fill up my favourite clip-top jars, add a tag and some ribbon and it makes the loveliest gift.
Preparation Time: 5min + 20min
Cooking Time: 15min + 4wks infusing + overnight chilling + 25-30min
Makes: 12
Ingredients:
For the amaretto filling
- 1 Bramley apple
- 3 clementines, zest and juice
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 240g mixed dried fruit
- 110g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 70g dried cranberries
- 175g light brown sugar
- 110g suet, grated
- ½tsp mixed spice
- ½tsp cinnamon
- 120ml Amaretto liquor
- 30g flaked almonds, coarsely chopped
For the shortcrust pastry
- 440g plain flour
- 80g powdered icing sugar
- ½tsp salt
- 220g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 30-60ml ice-cold water
To Make:
4 weeks before making your mince pies, make the filling
- Peel, core and finely chop the apple.
- To a large saucepan, add the apple, lemon zest and juice; clementines zest and juice; mixed fruit; fresh cranberries; dried cranberries; sugar and suet, and give it a good stir.
- Over a low heat on the stove top, gently heat the mixture for 20min, stirring frequently, until the fresh cranberries have burst, and the dried fruit has softened.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the Amaretto and almonds.
- Spoon the filling into sterilized @talacooking Clip Top Jars and refrigerate until ready to make your mince pies. Or add a tag and a ribbon and gift to your friends, family or neighbour
The day before making your pies, make the shortcrust pastry
- Add flour, icing sugar and salt to a @talacooking mixing bowl, add in cold cubed butter and rub between your fingers until the size of peas.
- Pour in beaten eggs and stir together.
- Add in cold water and bring the dough together with your hands.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times until it comes together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
On the day of baking
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Take dough from refrigerator and roll out to £1 coin thickness. Using a 9cm cookie cutter, stamp out 12 rounds. Place the pastry into a cupcake tin and press in. Fill all 12 cupcake moulds.
- Re-roll any pastry trimmings and cut out a star shape for the top of each mince pie.
- Fill 2tsp Amaretto Mince Pie filling into each pastry case. Press star tops into position.
- Brush tops with egg wash and bake for 25-30min until golden and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and with a sharp knife, lift out onto a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar prior to serving.
