It’s easy to overdo it at Christmas, and here at healthy we don’t judge. But we do want to help you make healthier food choices when you want to, without compromising on flavour or festivity, of course. These mince pies deliver on both – with no refined sugar and some veg snuck in, they’re the perfect treat to top off any Christmas feast. Or you know, just a Tuesday.
Healthy carrot and apple mince pies (refined sugar-free)
Makes 12
320g shortcrust pastry
Icing sugar (optional)
For the mincemeat:
100g raisins
100g sultanas
100g currants
50g dried cranberries
100ml spiced rum
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tbsp cinnamon
50g butter
1 To begin your mincemeat, mix the raisins, sultanas, currants and dried cranberries in a bowl and pour over the spiced rum. Leave them to soak for 1 hour.
2 Once some of the rum has absorbed, tip everything into a large saucepan with the remaining mincemeat ingredients. Melt the butter and then bring to a medium heat and allow to cook for 20 minutes or until the apple pieces start to soften.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6, and lightly grease the holes of your mince pie tin. On a floured surface, roll out the shortcrust pastry until it’s the thickness of a 50p coin. Use a 10-12cm fluted cutter (depending on your tin size) and then place the pastry rounds into the holes. Fill each round with about 2 tsp of mincemeat and then bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
4 With the leftover pastry, use a small star cutter to cut out as many stars as you can. Transfer onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until golden.
5 Once cooled slightly, remove the mince pies from the tin and place the small stars on top. Dust with icing sugar if preferred and serve warm or cold.
Recipe by Natalie Thomson