Filo and Puff Pastry Mince Pies
Reinvented Christmas mince pies combining crispy filo and puff pastry layers. Mincemeat filling infused with clementine zest, dried cranberries, and sherry or brandy, topped with flaked almonds and dusted with icing sugar. Uses ready-made pastries for convenience.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz mincemeat, good-quality
- 1 oz dried cranberries or blueberries, choppeddried currants1:1dried fruit
similar sweetness and texture
- clementine zest, from 2 clementines
- sherry or brandy, splashorange juice1:1alcohol-free
maintains citrus note
- flour, to dust(optional)
- 9 oz puff pastry, good-quality
- 1 pack filo pastry
- 3 ½ tbsp butter, melted
- 1 free-range egg, beatenmilk1:1veganeggs-freeadds dairy
egg wash replacement for binding
- 1 ¾ oz flaked almonds
- icing sugar, to dust(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400°F/400°F/gas 6.
- 2
Mix mincemeat, dried berries, clementine zest, and sherry or brandy in a bowl.
- 3
Dust work surface with flour and roll out puff pastry into a large rectangle about 7.75" x 15 ¾", thickness of a pound coin.
- 4
Thinly spread mincemeat mixture over pastry, leaving ⅓" gap around edges.
- 5
Tightly roll up pastry lengthways like a Swiss roll, place on floured tray, and chill to firm up.
- 6
Lightly butter two cupcake trays (12 cups each) with melted butter.
- 7
Place one layer of filo pastry over each tray, easing into each hole.
- 8
Brush with melted butter and cover with second layer of filo pastry.
- 9
Brush with butter again.
- 10
Remove puff pastry roll from fridge and cut into 24 slices with sharp knife.
- 11
Place each slice flat-side down into filo-lined holes.
- 12
Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle flaked almonds on top.
- 13
Bake both trays for about 25 minutes until cooked and golden brown.
- 14
Cool completely, then remove individual pies from trays.
- 15
Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips
Ready-made puff and filo pastries save time and work well in this recipe.
Chill the puff pastry roll before slicing to maintain shape and ensure even cooking.
Layer filo pastry carefully to avoid tears; brush each layer with butter for crispness.
Good to Know
Freeze cooked, cooled mince pies in trays wrapped in cling film or in plastic container. Reheat from frozen in hot oven.
Assemble and bake up to 2 days ahead, store in airtight container. Or freeze baked pies for up to 3 months.
Dust with icing sugar just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Common Mistakes
Do not roll puff pastry too thin to avoid tearing when rolling up.
Do not skip chilling the puff pastry roll to prevent it from unraveling when sliced.
Do not layer filo without brushing butter between layers to achieve crispness.
Do not overbake to avoid over-browning the almonds.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
General Alternatives
similar sweetness and texture