Mince pies (sugar free)
For mincemeat filling (makes approx 3 x 350ml jars)
- 250g grated apple
- 500g dried fruit (choose from sultanas, raisins, currants, chopped dates, apricots, figs)
- 100g melted butter (or 80ml cold pressed rapeseed oil or coconut oil)
- 1 tbsp of molasses or honey
- 1 orange and 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 50g flaked almonds
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice (I add a further 1tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
- 3 tbsp brandy (optional)
Place all of the above (except brandy) in a bowl and leave to soak over night
If using the mincemeat immediately add the brandy and store in a fridge for up to 2 weeks. There isn’t enough sugar in this recipe to preserve it for long but the brandy will help, over time the apple will ferment and change the flavour.
If you want to store it for longer, spoon it into clean glass jars and place in a heated oven (120C) for 3 hours, stir some brandy into each jar and close with a lid.
For pastry (makes 12 mince pies)
- 200g wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 150g butter (or vegan alternative)
- Grated rind of 1 orange
- Optional: 1 egg yolk
- 4 tbsp water (or more if omitting the egg)
An alternative pastry recipe using olive oil is used in my ‘simple wholemeal quiche’ recipe on the savoury dishes page.
Make the pastry by rubbing the fat into the flour
Add the egg yolk and enough water to bind the mixture into a soft but not sticky ball
Gather up the pastry with your hands and gently form it into a ball.
It can be easier to roll out pastry if it rests for 15-30 mins
Roll out the pastry and cut out round shapes (use a scone cutter or drinking glass) to fill completely each individual mould of your pie tin. Cut out star shapes or smaller rounds to go on top.
Fill the pie bases with mincemeat (add more brandy or lemon juice if it seems dry)
Close them with smaller pastry rounds by wetting the edge of the top round and close the edges of the pie together with your fingers of a fork and making a small hole in the top to let steam out as they cook). I find putting a star on top much easier!
Sprinkle with some icing sugar (this can be made from coconut sugar or cane sugar) alternatively sprinkle with coconut milk powder.
Nut roast (bread free)
- 200g mixed nuts (chopped fine in a food processor) (Mix & choose from almonds, brazils, hazels, walnuts)
- 200g cooked grain This is approx 80g dried weight before cooking (Mix & choose from millet, buckwheat or quinoa)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 100g mushrooms chopped
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried sage or parsley (can you hear the song?!)
- 2 tbsp soya sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato puree (optional)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 beaten egg (or a little plant based milk for vegan option)
- Salt and black pepper
- For a Christmas edition add 180g of cooked chestnuts
Grease a 2 lb (1kg) loaf tin and put some greaseproof paper in the base (I use a silicone re-usable liner)
Fry onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft
Add all the other chopped vegetables and herbs and fry for another 10 mins
Stir in the soy sauce, tomato puree and mix in the nuts and cooked grains
Add the beaten egg or a little milk. The mixture should be wet but not sloppy.
Put into the tin and cover with foil
Bake for 45-60 mins at 180C (160C fan oven)
For the Christmas edition, fill half the tin with the nut mixture, add a layer of chopped cooked chestnuts then press the remaining mixture on top. When it’s cooked, take it out of the tin and present it on a plate and smother the top with a layer of homemade cranberry sauce. Serve with porcini mushroom and onion gravy.
Cranberry sauce (sugar free)
- 300g fresh or frozen cranberries (you can also combine them with red currants)
- 4 tbsp of pure maple syrup or apple concentrate
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- Juice of 1 medium orange
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon.
Bring it to a boil and simmer until the cranberries have broken down and thickened into a compote, it’ll take about 20 minutes, add water by the tablespoon if necessary to prevent sticking, (if using frozen fruit the sauce will have more water content and may need boiling for longer).
The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Pour into a jar while hot and seal. It will keep for a few months if sealed well, it will keep for many months in the fridge.