Mincemeat Tarts are a holiday favourite. If you’re making the homemade all fruit mincemeat, do that a week before* you want to bake the tarts. The flavour is even better if it has time to ripen. It’s worth the time and effort.
Pate Brisée (Short Crust Pastry)
1 1/4 cups/175g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon/14g granulated white sugar
1/2 cup/113g unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 – 60 ml) ice water
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal – about 15 seconds. Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough barely holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the pastry in two, flatten each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using.
*Mincemeat Filling (a week before if you can)
1-11 ounce/312 g jar of mincemeat
1 medium Granny Smith apple (or another tart apple), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
Zest of 2 lemons
Optional – a little lime zest, a little orange zest
Optional – add chopped nuts, dried or candied fruit, a little brandy or rum
Mince pie
Have ready mini muffin pans – one-24 or two 12’s. Once the dough has chilled, place one of the pastry disks on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the pastry dough until about 1/8 inch (or even thinner!) thick and cut into 24 x 3″ rounds. Keep lifting the dough and turning a quarter-turn as you roll. If the pastry becomes too soft, put it back in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Always roll from the centre of the pastry outwards. Gently place the rounds into the muffin tins. Roll out the second disk of pastry and cut out 24 stars. Place the rolled dough, covered, in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Remove the pans from the fridge and fill each tin with a scant teaspoon of mincemeat. Place the stars on top, brush lightly with water and sprinkle with some granulated sugar.
Bake at 400°F/205°C or convection 375°F/190°C for about 10 – 15 minutes. Check starting 10 minutes. Bake until the pastry has lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. These tarts freeze very well.
Makes 24 – 2 inch tarts
Source: Mince Pies, Joy of Baking.com