Meringue-Topped Mince Pies
A traditional mince pie with a sweet and crisp meringue topping
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 5 oz or 140g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 oz or 30g ground almonds (almond flour)
- pinch of salt
- 3 oz or 85g cold butter
- 2 oz or 55g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 egg yolk
- zest of half a lemon
- splash of milk (may not be needed)
For the meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 4 oz or 110g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Mincemeat (either from a jar or homemade)
Instructions
To make the pastry
- Place the flour, almonds and salt in a food processor and process briefly to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar, lemon zest and egg yolk and mix to form a dough. Add a splash of milk if you think it looks a little dry.
- Bring the dough together, flatten into a disk, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 0.5cm thickness and cut into 12 rounds to line a small bun or tartlet tin. Carefully line the tins with the pastry rounds.
- Fill with mincemeat and bake at 375F/190C for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 300F/150C.
- Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then keep whisking while gradually adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy.
- Place spoonfuls of the meringue on top of the mincemeat filling, spreading to the edges and then use a butter knife to make small peaks on the top of the pies.
- Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes at the lower temperature.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin until cool.