Low(er) Carb Festive Mince Pies
Let's be honest, as an adult Christmas becomes less about the presents and pretty much all about the food. Problem is, it's all the naughty things that we love to eat at this time of year! But don't worry, we've got your back with this low(er) carb & sugar free mince pie recipe so you can still get your fix in a health(ier) way.
They're pretty simple to make and taste just as good as the 'real' ones - this has been verified by many of our friends!
For the pastry
- 150g Ground almonds
- 750g Unsalted grass fed butter
- 1 Egg
For the filling
- 30g Sultanas
- 30g Raisins
- 30g Currents
- 2 Dates
- 40g Ground Peacans
- 40g Pure Health Collagen Powder
- 1 Apple
- Juice of half a lemon
- Juice & rind of half an orange
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Allspice
- 40ml Brandy/Sherry/Rum (Optional)
Ok, let's get started with the pastry. Melt your butter in a small pan then whisk in the egg. Add this to the ground almonds slow and mix until a dough is formed. You can either use pastry cases to create the moulds or a cake tin, which is what I opted for. Mould the pastry into small tarts and set to one side whilst you prepare the filling. Ensure you leave around 10% of your pastry for the star toppers to add at the end once filled.
For the filling you can really pick and choose what you add. If one of the ingredients doesn't take your fancy you can substitute it or remove it completely it's up to you.
Chop the dates into small piece then peel and chop the apple similarly. Juice the orange and lemon and peel the rind from the orange. Next you can simply throw everything into a pan and simmer for 15 mins - the smell is divine! Leave to cool them blend briefly with a stick blender to smoothen it out a little.
Fill each pastry case until level then use your remaining pastry to cutter toppers. I used a star cutter but go crazy, it is Christmas after all! Pop the toppers on then bake for around 15 mins at 180C or until they start to turn golden brown.