Recipes

Homemade mince pie recipe!

Here is my delicious homemade mince pie recipe! Everything is made from scratch to keep this recipe as healthy as possible.

I advise making the mincemeat around two weeks before the mince pies, this gives plenty of time for the flavours to infuse, creating the perfect mince pie! That being said, you can indeed use the mincemeat straight away – leaving it for two weeks is not vital.

If you have any left over mincemeat, put it in a jar and use within 1-2 months.

This recipe is fairly high in carbs and sugar, check the macros listed below for all the info!

Makes around 16-18 large mince pies

Macros:

Calories: 328
Carbohydrates: 39g
of which sugars: 14g
Fat: 17g
Protein: 3.5g
Fibre: 2g

Ingredients:

Mincemeat:

  • 180g sultana
  • 70g dried apricot
  • 100ml brandy
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 120g vegetable suet
  • 75g dark brown sugar
  • 25g chopped mixed peel
  • 1.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 satsuma finely chopped
  • 1 medium brambly apple peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/2 lemon zest

Pastry:

  • 375g plain flour (white GF if necessary)
  • 2 tsp xanthin gum (only if making GF)
  • 260g unsalted butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • Jug of cold water
  • 1 medium egg for glazing
  • Icing sugar for decorating

Method for the mincemeat:

1.Soak the sultanas and dried apricot in the lemon juice and Brandy. Let this soak for 1 hour. 

2. Next, stir in the rest of the ingredients one at a time in the order of the ingredients list (juice of 1 lemon onwards). Stir between each ingredient addition

mincemeat - mince pies

3. Now put your homemade mincemeat in jars and leave for 2 weeks. You can use it straight away if you would like to.

Method for the pastry and mince pies:

1.Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the xanthin gum if you are making gluten free pastry.

2. Next, cube up your slightly soft butter and rub this into the flour. Continue to do this until it resembles crumbs.

rubbing butter and flour - mince pie

3. Add in the caster sugar and egg and combine. If the pastry isn’t sticking together, add a few splashes of cold water to bind the pastry together.

4. Next, wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat your oven to 170 degrees.

5. While your pastry is resting, grease your muffin tin with butter or margarine.

6. Once the 20 minutes is up, prepare your clean work surface with a dusting of flour.

7. Next, roll out your pastry until it is approximately 3cm thick. Use a 10cm cutter to cut approximately 16 bases. Push the bases down into the muffin tin, and make sure the sides are also covered with pastry.

rolling pastry - mince pie

8. Add about 1-2tsp mincemeat on top of the pastry base and push it down with the spoon.

9. Re-roll out the pastry and use the 10cm cutter to cut 16 tops.

mincemeat filling - mince pie

10. Place the tops onto the mine pies, and use a knife to remove any excess pastry from the edges.

11. Use a cocktail stick to poke 1 or 2 wholes in the top of the mince pies, and wash with a beaten egg.

12. If you have any left over pastry, you can make some leaves or other decorations to top your mince pies!

mince pie

13. Now bake your mince pies for around 20 minutes (until golden and crispy)

14. Once they are cooked, sprinkle with icing sugar and keep them in a sealed tin.

15. Next, enjoy! 🙂

finished mince pies!

Thank you for reading my homemade mince pie recipe! Definitely give these a try, it is also a wonderful Christmas activity to do with your loved ones! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out my Ginger Cookies you have to make this Christmas! and How to stay on track this Christmas!

lighted christmas tree
Diet, Top Tips

How to stay on track this Christmas!

We all love to have a splurge at Christmas, but it is important not to over-indulge and feel negatively afterwards. So keep reading for my top tips!

1. Keep Moving!

two person walking on unpaved road
  • With the current Covid-19 rules here in the UK, we are allowed to see up to 6 people outdoors, so if this is the same for you, take full advantage of this and go our for some walks with loved ones.
  • Walking is obviously great for your physical health and keeping your sugar levels on track this Christmas, but walking is also fantastic for mental health.
  • Getting some fresh air and catching up with family and friends helps to decrease stress levels and gives you some joy after a very odd year!
  • I also like to time my walks after I have had a treat, as this helps to prevent a sugar spike post-meal!

2. Choose alcohol with less sugar

  • It is officially Christmas cocktail season! But remember how much sugar and calories can be packed into alcoholic beverages.
alcohol bar black background close up
  • So here are a few alternatives so you can have a treat and worry less about your sugar levels!
  1. Choose sugar free mixers and add lemon, lime or orange juice to make them sweeter and fresh.
  2. Always measure out your spirits!
  3. Use fresh ingredients and make your own syrups.

3. Make sweet treats yourself!

  • When you make treats yourself, you know exactly what has gone into the recipe and you can make some ingredient swaps to make the treat have a benefit for your health.
  • Some alternatives can include adding bananas and dried fruit to replace refined sugar. Also using coconut oil, olive oil or avocado.

4. Put snacks in smaller bowls

  • Studies have shown that when we serve snacks in big bowls, we tend to eat more and over-indulge.
close up photo of potato wedges
  • So, when you fancy a snack, portion it out into smaller bowls to prevent over grazing.
  • When snacks are portioned, it is much easier to know how many carbs you have eaten so calculating an insulin dose is much easier.

5. Limit dessert options

  • If you have 4 dessert options you are very likely to try them all, and of course the carbs and sugar will add up and cause a big glucose spike.
close up photo of brownies
  • So aim to have 2 desserts that are homemade, to limit temptation so you are less likely to over-indulge!

Thank you so much for reading my top tips on how to stay on track this Christmas! I hope you found my tips useful!

If you liked this blog make sure you read 5 foods to limit if you’re living with diabetes! and 5 foods diabetics should be eating!