Mince Pies!

Confession time, I'm not really a mince pie lover. If the option is there for a mince pie alternative, I'll usually take it. Whenever I've made them in the past it's usually because I've felt like you have to give them a go at Christmas, and it's certainly been for other people, not for me. Recently though I've been seeing people online use different toppings in place of a pastry lid, and I saw the perfect opportunity to try something new!

The Mince Pies with the crushed 
shortbread topping!

For me, the making of the mince pies is probably more enjoyable than the actual eating, and the method is so easy. By rubbing together plain flour and butter, then stirring in sugar and an egg, you produce a sweet pastry that is wonderfully short and melts in the mouth. Shaping the mince pies is also so easy, as you simply roll out the pastry and use it to line a muffin tin! In the past I've struggled with making the mince pies look attractive, but I'm sure you'll agree these look delightful!

If you're ever unsure, just add a 
dusting of icing sugar!

For the filling, I simply jazzed up a jar of shop bought mincemeat by adding the zest and chopped up fruit of two tangerines, a diced apple, and the zest of one lemon. But what really sets these mince pies above the rest is the use of a shortbread and almond topping in place of a pastry lid. I first saw this exact topping on Tom Hetherington's Instagram story (Tom appeared on Bake Off series 8, for those wondering!). You'd be surprised how much of my baking is inspired by recipes I see on Instagram, and the recipe I came across for Polvorones was no exception! Polvorones are a variety of Spanish shortbreads, and once I began to research recipes a little, I realised that these almond and cinnamon biscuits would make a perfect topping, complimenting the flavours of the mince pies very well!

The Polvorones, before I 
smashed them up with a rolling pin!

I'm planning to write a post all about Polvorones. Not only are they delicious but it turns out they played a fascinating role in Spanish history! The post will more than likely focus more on history than on the method behind the bake, so keep an eye out for that if that sounds like your kind of thing!

Had to include a cheeky cross-section!

But for now, back to the mince pies! I took a few to work for my colleagues to try, and they were blown away! I'm very happy with the way the different textures interact, the pastry was very short whilst the biscuits added extra crunch. I feel like another batch of these are needed for Christmas Day to help entertain the visitors we'll have later in the morning!

If I were to make these again, the only thing I would change is the thickness of the pastry cases. I probably rolled out the pastry just a little too thickly, but even then I do appreciate a thick layer of pastry, so it's far from the end of the world!

Gibby x