When it comes to the festive season, there are some things that just taste like Christmas.
One of them is mince pies. They may be small in size, but they pack a punch when it comes to flavour. After all, they’re fruity, warming and, if you’re lucky, put a spring in your step with a little brandy too.
Even though I’ve munched on many over the years, I’d never attempted to make them. At least until now. It’s something I put off for years, but I decided it was finally time to indulge in a little festive baking, and I’m really glad I did.
After scrolling through TikTok, I soon discovered that filo mince pies were becoming quite the viral trend. Though I’m usually a sucker for tradition, I thought they looked rather nice, so I decided to give them a whirl.
Naturally, I turned to one of my trusted sources for food advice – Jamie Oliver. As a man who’s never let me down when it comes to simple and stress-free recipes, I knew he’d be a good person to turn to for festive inspiration.
It wasn’t long before I found a recipe, and it looked really easy to pull off. You don’t have to make pastry, which is great news for an amateur baker like myself. They’re perfect to make if you’re hosting over the festive season.
Basically, all it involved was making a mincemeat rolly polly with puff pastry and then cutting it up to pop into the filo pastry pockets.
A scattering of flaked almonds and icing sugar, and that was pretty much all there is to it. There were two things I did differently though that probably put a twist on my festive treats.
Firstly, I upped the amount of mincemeat as I wanted my pies to be super fruity and full. I also swapped the clementines for orange zest – simply because I couldn’t find clementines at my local supermarket.
None the less, they still tasted pretty good. The pastry was flaky and light, the mincemeat mixture was zesty and warming and they didn’t leave you feeling like you’d eaten too much either.
If you’re looking for a pie that’s lighter, crispy and that comes with a little added crunch then this recipe is well worth giving a whirl. It’s like a mince pie you’ve never tasted before, but it also takes festive eating to new heights.
To make things better, you don’t even have to make pastry to reap the rewards. Just make sure you have a skewer on hand to ensure it’s cooked – it will come out clean when the pastry is ready.
