Amaretto Frangipane Mince Pies
Amaretto frangipane mince pies are a real festive treat! Full of homemade mincemeat, boozy frangipane & crunchy almonds.
Servings: 12 Mince Pies
Equipment
- 12 Hole Muffin Tray
- Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- Palette Knife
- 9½ cm Circular Pastry Cutter
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Almond Pastry
- 220 g Plain Flour
- 30 g Ground Almonds
- 50 g Icing Sugar
- ½ tsp Table Salt
- 1 Orange, Zested
- 140 g Unsalted Butter Chilled
- 30 g Egg Yolks
- ½ tsp Almond Extract
Greasing The Tray
- 20 g Unsalted Butter Melted
Filling
- 300 g Mincemeat See Notes
- ½ tbsp Amaretto
Amaretto Frangipane
- 110 g Unsalted Butter Softened
- 110 g Caster Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 110 g Ground Almonds
- 40 g Plain Flour
- ¼ tsp Table Salt
- ½ tsp Almond Extract
- ½ tbsp Amaretto
Assembly
- 20 g Flaked Almonds
- 1 tsp Icing Sugar To Dust
Instructions
Almond Pastry
- Sift the flour, icing sugar & salt into a large mixing bowl then add in the ground almonds & orange zest.
- Cut the butter into small pieces, add into the flour, then rub in with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs with some large pieces of butter still visible.
- Add the egg yolks & ground almonds into the flour then mix with your hands until the pastry starts to come together. Tip out onto a clean worksurface & gently knead until you have a smooth dough (be careful not to overwork).
- Flatten the pastry into a disc, wrap in clingfilm & refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Rolling Out The Pastry
- Take the pastry out of the fridge & leave to warm up slightly at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Brush a 12 hole muffin tray with melted butter then set aside.
- Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm then cut out 12 circles using a 9½ cm cutter. Knead together the pastry trimmings & re roll if necessary.
- Gently press the circles of pastry into the muffin tray, making sure that the pastry reaches the top of each hole then place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Filling
- Place the mincemeat into a mixing bowl, add the amaretto then stir to combine. Set aside.
Amaretto Frangipane
- Place the softened butter & caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer & mix with the paddle attachment until light & pale. This will take 2-3 minutes on a medium speed.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg & yolk then gradually beat into the butter with the mixer still running.
- Next, sift the flour & salt into the mixing bowl then add in the ground almonds, almond extract & amaretto. Mix on a low speed until combined.
Assembly
- Preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
- Take the pastry out of the fridge then spoon an equal amount of filling into each pie.
- Next, spoon an even amount (½ tbsp) of frangipane onto each of the mince pies, smooth the top over with a small spoon or palette knife then sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp & the frangipane is golden brown.
- Let the mince pies cool in the tin for a couple of minutes then use a small palette knife to transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
- Leave to cool completely then dust with icing sugar & serve.
Notes
Cooking In An Aga – Bake the mince pies for 25-30 minutes in the baking oven on the second from bottom set of runners. If the frangipane or almonds look like they are browning too much, move the tray down a set of runners.
2. Mincemeat – For this recipe, you can use shop bought mincemeat or make your own. My homemade mincemeat recipe can be found here.
3. Storage – Once cool, store the mince pies in an airtight container. They are best eaten within 3 days of being made.
4. Pastry – The pastry can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before being rolled out. Alternatively, store in the freezer then defrost in the fridge before using.
5. Amaretto - You can use any type of amaretto for this recipe. I used Disaronno.