Mince Pies with Buckwheat Almond Pastry and Meringue Tops

Buckwheat Almond Pastry

1. Measure the flour, icing sugar and xanthan gum into a bowl, stir to combine and sieve into a mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the ground almonds.
3. Rub a little butter around the inside of two 12-hole tart trays and pre-heat the oven.
4. Dust the work surface with flour, put the dough in the middle and sprinkle it with more flour.
5. Roll out the pastry until about 1.5mm/1/16” thick.
6. Select a pastry cutter or cup 2cm/¾” larger than the holes of the tart tray and press it into the dough to make circles.
7. Lift the pastry circles on to the prepared tart tray.
8. Gather up the pastry off cuts, pressing them into a ball of dough and roll it out again to cut more circles or wrap and freeze the leftover pastry for another day.

Mincemeat Filling

1. Put a teaspoon of mincemeat in the centre of each tart without filling to the edge of the pastry.
2. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes.

or Homemade Mincemeat Filling

1. Peel and coarse grate the apple, into a saucepan.
2. Finely grate the orange peel into the pan, squeeze and add the orange juice.
3. Add the oil and sugar and simmer over gently heat for 8-10 minutes, until the apple starts to collapse into the syrup.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mixed dried fruit and peel and mixed spice.
5. Cover, leave to cool and leave to stand for 12 hours before use. The mincemeat can be put into sterilized jars, refrigerated for three days or frozen until required.
6. Put a teaspoon of the mixture in the centre of each tart.
7. Bake for 12–14 minutes.

Topping

1. Sieve the icing sugar, cornflour and Vitamin C into a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Put the egg whites into a larger bowl and beat until stiff.
3. Beat the prepared sugar mix into the egg white, a spoon at a time.
4. Pipe a swirl or put a teaspoon of meringue on the top of each tart.
5. Bake for a further 10–12 minutes until the meringue is a light golden colour.
6. Serve warm or cold.