Mince pies are quintessentially Christmas. Normally mince pies have a large amount of dried fruit which can cause problems for people with fructose malabsorption if enough are eaten, plus they are made from pastry, a source of fructans. This is the reason I decided to develop a nut based pie instead and chestnut was just the right choice (along side the fact I had 1/2 tin of chestnut puree left from the previous recipe!) I am probably going all out to trash the traditional mince pie – but needs must!
Again this is a Christmas recipe and not one necessarily for health – the addition of lard really should be part of a true shortcrust pastry, the recipe standard is 1/2 fat to flour and 1/2 lard to butter/margarine. The lard in the pastry is also traditional in mince pie but usually added as suet to the filling. This recipe is made a rich shortcrust with the addition of an egg and the sugar. A recipe for a treat occasionally and when else can you have a treat except Christmas?
Ingredients
- Pie filling
- 50g Candied Ginger
- ½ Can chestnut puree
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla
- 40g pecan nuts
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pastry
- 200g gluten free plain flour
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 50g margarine
- 50g Lard
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
Method
- Sieve the flour into a bowl add the xanthan gum and mix well.
- Add the sugar.
- Cut the margarine and lard into small pieces and add to the flour.
- Rub the fat into the flour until it forms a small crumb.
- Add the egg and bring the crumb together into a pastry – you may need to add a small amount of water if it is too dry but be cautious – you can always add more but you can’t remove too much!
- Chill the pastry whilst you make the filling.
- Chop pecan nuts and add the filling ingredients into a pan and warm through till blended well, chill.
- Roll out the pastry and cut out the pie bases and tops
- To a well oiled pie tin add the pastry base, some filling (don’t overfill) and then add the top and glaze with beaten egg wash (it will not brown without this addition.
- Cook at gas mark 6/200 degrees C for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with sprinkled icing sugar.
Clinical Alimentary 
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