Amaretto Infused Mince Pies

Time to get that filling for your mince pies ready. This year we’ve made an Amaretto infused filling with hints of clementine and cranberries with in. It’s sweet, fruity and ever so slightly boozy. Perfect for this time of year!

We always make enough to gift an extra jar or two. The filling really does benefit from being made ahead of time so that the flavour has time to infuse and develop. Fill up our favourite cliptop jars, add a tag and some ribbon and it makes the loveliest gift. 

Equipment

Peeler

Zester

Wooden spoon

Mixing bowl

Clip top jars

Cupcake tray

Rolling pin

INGREDIENTS:

Amaretto Filling

1 Bramley apple

3 clementine’s, 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

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp cinnamon

120ml Amaretto liquor

30g flaked almonds, coarsely chopped

Short Crust Pastry

440g plain Flour

80g powdered Icing Sugar

½ tsp salt

220g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

30-60ml ice-cold water

METHOD:

4 weeks before making your mince pies, make the filling

1. Peel, core and finely chop the apple.
2. To a large saucepan, add the apple, lemon zest and juice and clementine’s zest and juice, mixed fruit, fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, sugar and suet and give it a good stir.
3. Over low heat on the stove top, gently heat the mixture for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fresh cranberries have burst, and the dried fruit has softened.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the Amaretto and almonds.
5. Spoon the filling into sterilized Clip Top Jars and refrigerate until ready to make your mince pies. Or add a tag and a ribbon and gift to you friends, family or neighbour

The day before making your pies, make the shortcrust pastry

1. Add flour, icing sugar and salt to a mixing bowl, add in cold cubed butter and rub between your fingers until the size of peas.
2. Pour in beaten eggs and stir together.
3. Add in cold water and bring the dough together with your hands.
4. 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.

Day of baking

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C. Take dough from refrigerator and roll out to £1 coin thickness. Using a 9cm cookie cutter, stamp out 12 rounds. Place pastry into a cupcake tin and press in. Fill all 12 cupcake moulds.
2. Re-roll any pastry trimmings and cut out a star shape for the tops of each mince pie.
3. Fill 2 teaspoons of Amaretto Mince Pie filling into each pastry case. Press star tops into position.
4. Brush tops with egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes 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.