Mince Pie Tart

Mince Pie Tart

If you love mince pies but want to make something a bit more impressive this Christmas, this Mince Pie Tart is the one. We came up with it because we wanted all those gorgeous warming spice flavours: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and brandy-soaked fruit. We wanted them in a format that feels a bit more like a showstopper centrepiece. The homemade mincemeat is genuinely incredible and way better than anything from a jar. Trust us on this one; once you've made your own you won't go back.

Cook: 100 min
Serves 8

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C fan
  • Large saucepan
  • Box grater (large side)
  • 23cm tart tin
  • Parchment paper
  • Baking beans or rice
  • Hand mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Cling film
  • Rolling pin
  • Star cutters (various sizes)
  • Mincemeat cooled completely before brandy (see Step 1)
  • Shortbread dough chilled for 20 minutes (see Step 2)

Ingredients

  • 325g raisins
  • 325g sultanas
  • 100g dried cranberries
  • 80g mixed peel
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 100g dried apricots
  • 2 Bramley apples
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lemon
  • 200g dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp all spice
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 100g plant-based butter
  • 100ml brandy
  • 320g plant-based shortcrust pastry
  • 100g plant-based butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 150g plain flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 150ml plant-based cream
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1

For the mincemeat

  • Tip the raisins, sultanas, cranberries, mixed peel and almonds into a large saucepan. Roughly chop the apricots and stir them in. Peel and grate the apple on the large side of a box grater and add that to the saucepan. Zest the orange and lemon and add to the pot. Finally, add the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and butter. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes
  • Allow the mixture to cool completely and stir in the brandy
  • The mixture will keep for 6 months
2

For the pie case and shortbread stars

  • Invert the pastry on top of the tart case and gently use your hands to press it into the casing, working the pastry along the sides of the tart case. Trim any extra casing
  • Line the pastry with parchment paper (scrunching the paper so that it is more pliable). Pour over the baking beans
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is slightly golden then remove the parchment and baking beans. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes so that the base of the pastry cooks slightly
  • Add the butter, vanilla and sugar to a mixing bowl
  • Using a hand mixer, mix together until you have a pale and creamy mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix it again to combine. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes
3

Fill the pie and bake

  • Preheat the oven to 180*C fan setting
  • Line the pastry with parchment paper (scrunching the paper so that it is more pliable). Fill with the baking beans or rice and bake for 15 minutes. The pastry should be slightly golden at this point. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment and beans, and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes. The edges should turn golden brown
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Trim the excess pastry with a small knife
4

Assemble the tart and bake

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the shortbread dough to about 4mm thick
  • Using the star cutters, cut the shortbread into different sized stars and set aside in the fridge
  • Spoon the mincemeat into the pie case and flatten with the back of a spoon
  • Cover the tart in foil and bake for 15 minutes. Arrange the stars on top of the mincemeat. Sprinkle each star with the granulated sugar
  • Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the stars are golden brown
5

Serve

  • In a small bowl, add the cream, icing sugar and vanilla and mix to combine. Set aside
  • Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving with lashings of vanilla cream

Tips & Variations

  • Make the mincemeat ahead: The mincemeat actually gets better the longer it sits, so make it a few days in advance if you can. It keeps in the fridge for weeks and the flavours just keep deepening.
  • Go easy on the brandy: We know it's tempting to splash in a bit extra, and honestly we've been there. But stick to the recipe amount the first time so the fruit flavours can shine through properly.
  • Blind bake properly: Don't skip the blind baking step for the pastry. It's the difference between a beautifully crisp base and a soggy bottom, and nobody wants a soggy bottom at Christmas.

Why This Works

The trick here is making the mincemeat from scratch and letting it cool completely before stirring in the brandy. That's what gives it that deep, boozy, complex flavour that shop-bought just can't match. Cooking the fruit down in butter and warm spices first means everything melds together beautifully, and the result is this rich, sticky, fragrant filling that makes the whole tart sing.