Gluten-free dairy-free mince pies

I made these with a pack of ready mixed all-purpose gluten-free flour called Bob’s Red Mill.  I normally mix my own flour for different recipes from Urid lentils, tapioca, polenta and almonds.  The recipe made ten deep-filled mince pies and six mini pies.

Ingredients

• 225g Flour
• 100g Cookeen – hard vegetable fat – or butter if dairy is ok
• 40g sugar
• 1 egg (leave out if can't / don't eat egg and add a bit more water.  If you have trouble with managing the dough try adding a bit of tapioca gel: 10g tapioca starch 100ml water, stir together cold, cook until clear gloop, wash utensils well with cold water)
• 35 ml water – add slowly until you have the right amount.  You might need more or less depending on the flour and the humidity of the air.

Method. 

Whizz fat into flour in food processor or rub in by hand until it resemble breadcrumbs.  Add the sugar, whizz, then add the egg and whizz just until mixed.  I tip out into a bowl and add the water by hand to be sure not to add too much, but you can just add the water in the machine and whizz until it just starts forming a dough.

Roll out the pastry between two sheets of cling film / plastic wrap – this saves on mess and having to add flour.  

Cut into circles and place in tart tins or other tin of choice.  Half fill with mincemeat. 

I used some from a jar for this but have bought citrus fruit to make candied peel this weekend so I can make some without sulphites.

Bake until the pastry is just turning golden.  Mine took twenty minutes at 170C in a fan oven. 

I sifted icing sugar over half of the mince pies.

Mini-mince pies

I used a mini muffin tin and what I call a stomper (mini-tart shaper:  The Pampered Chef http://bit.ly/g23sN5). Take a ball of dough (about 18g), place in bottom of tin, dust stomper with flour, press into dough twisting slightly.  You will get a neat little pastry case with remarkably little effort.