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Pâte Frolle Mince Pies

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Yooo, it’s totally mince pie time guys.

They’re pretty easy to make – my mum makes them using a pâte frolle (almond pastry) recipe she got from one of my Nain’s cookbooks. So they’re not the usual mince pies, which are usually shortcrust, they are WAY better. The almond meal and extract in the pastry gives it a much shorter texture and more flavour. Plus they’ve got a crunchy demerara sugar sprinkle.

They’re usually made in a small tart tin and topped with a star of pastry.

Dust them with powdered sugar too, it’s snowy and fun so go for it.

and then if you want to feel like it’s more dessert-y, go for the pouring cream too.

Word to the wise – let them cool for at least 10 minutes after you bake them. Dried fruit gets SO SO hot in the oven and you will burn your mouth if you attempt to eat a hot one.

Pâte Frolle Mince Pies

Pâte Frolle Mince Pies

5 from 3 votes
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Ingredients

  • 220 g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 85 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) ground almonds
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 85 g (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 170 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 400 g (14 oz) mincemeat
  • cream or milk , , plus demerara (raw) sugar for sprinkling + brushing

Instructions

  • In a food processor: blend together the first 4 ingredients. Add in the butter and pulse until a crumbly texture is achieved. Add in the egg and almond extract and blend until a smooth dough forms.
  • By hand: in a bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients. Add the butter to the bowl and rub into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until a crumbly texture is achieved. Add the egg and almond extract, stir/knead together until a smooth dough forms.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours (it’s quite soft dough, so it’s easier to handle when it’s cold).
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Roll the chilled pastry out on a floured piece of parchment paper, using a well floured rolling pin. It should be about about 1/8-inch (3 or 4 mm) thick. Cut into circles (the size of them depends on your tartlet/pie tin. Normally it’s around 2.5-inches or 7 cm diameter). Line each cavity of the pie tin with a circle of pastry. Fill with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat. Re-roll the scraps of pastry and cut out stars for the tops. Top each pie with a star of pastry.
  • Brush with cream or milk and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Dust with powdered sugar.
  • Serve them warm, with tea. Or cream. Or BOTH.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

39 thoughts on “Pâte Frolle Mince Pies”

  4. The light in these photos is absolutely gorgeous! Plus these pies looks super delish and holiday-y (which I will totally pretend is a word)

  6. My grandma makes mincemeat tarts every Christmas. I have never understood the fascination but yours look really pretty!

  10. I just had one of those “not so good, bad pastry, dry filling” pie yesterday and thought to myself, “why do I even bother!” Because of your gorgeous pictures I am willing to give mince pies another try. Loveliness.

  11. You, my dear, are the ultimate cake and pie heroine for me. These photos are perfection and the way you write is so funny and entertaining. Be sure to have me as your follower next year, too. Oh and btw: thanks for so many gorgeous posts this year. You rock, girl. Me:fan!

  13. right, everything homemade is better or much better 🙂 Looks beautiful on your pictures.

  14. these look so good!
    i agree, store bought ones are really nothin’ to rave about – so i gotta try these! thanks for the recipe 🙂
    and Merry Christmas!
    (amahhhzing photos by you once again! 🙂 )

  16. OMG. Did you make a DIY snow globe??? That thing is SO cute!!! Thanks for teaching me about mince pies..no idea they didn’t involve meat! haha Beautiful!

  18. Perfect little pies, and boats! I make almond pastry too, it’s the way forward for the best mince pies.

  19. how do you ground your almonds? i find that a food processor makes it a paste and a almond grinder does not makes too big pieces. the already bought flour does not have as much taste since the almonds has not been toasted!

  21. Beautiful photos as always Izy!! I still haven’t had a mince pie this year… I’m dying!! Love the ground almonds in the pastry, will have to try that one!

  24. I second Ashley’s question. Is that a DIY snow globe??! WHA?!

    These are gorgeous. I miss mince meat–its nearly impossible to find in the US.

  25. OK, so I’m going to admit to being 100% clueless about the nature of mincemeat up until now. I definitely just assumed that a mincemeat pie was made up of…well…a whole bunch of minced bits of meat. (Which still sounded good to me. Meat pie!) But THIS sounds delicious. And they’re so adorable! I’ve never seen mincemeat in the stores here, but I also haven’t been looking for it. It’s possible that specialty cheese/wine/fancy goods shop would have it. I’m so curious.

    Also echoing the above sentiments about the DIY snow globe. Ahhh!! Amazing. (:

  27. You learn something new every day. Thanks for teaching me that mincemeat doesn’t have meat in it! These pies look wonderful and so Christmas-like!

  29. these are some of my absolute fave of your photographs. it’s like christmas threw up on my computer screen in the absolute best way possible.

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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