A Festive Twist: Plum and Stout Mincemeat with Almond Pastry Mince Pies

When it comes to Christmas baking, mince pies hold a special place in the festive spread. This year, I wanted to bring a unique twist to the traditional recipe, inspired by Dan Lepard’s plum-based mincemeat. Using Black Cab Stout, I created a suet-free mincemeat that’s bursting with rich, fruity flavours, and paired it with a melt-in-your-mouth almond pastry for the perfect festive treat.

Plum and Stout Mincemeat

Traditional mincemeat recipes often rely on suet and apples, but this recipe skips the suet and uses plums and stout to create a thick, flavorful base. The addition of dark rum and mixed spices brings warmth and depth, making it a standout filling for mince pies.

Ingredients:

• 200g plums, stoned and quartered

• 1 cup Black Cab stout

• ½ cup dark brown soft sugar

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup raisins

• ¼ cup currants

• ½ cup prunes, chopped

• 1 tbsp butter

• 3 tbsp dark rum

• 1 tbsp ground mixed spice

Method:

1. Combine the plums, stout, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the plums are soft.

2. Purée the cooked plums with a potato ricer or hand blender.

3. Stir in the raisins, currants, prunes, and mixed spice.

4. Add the butter and cook until melted.

5. Stir in the dark rum and transfer the mincemeat to a jar for storage or use immediately.

This mincemeat is perfect for last-minute baking, but it also improves with a bit of time, as the flavors meld beautifully.

Almond Pastry Mince Pies

To complement the robust flavors of the stout-based mincemeat, I made a buttery almond pastry. This pastry is tender, slightly nutty, and the ideal partner for the fruity filling.

Ingredients:

• 140g softened butter, cubed

• ½ cup icing sugar

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 cups plain flour

• ½ cup ground almonds

Method:

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg yolks and mix until combined.

3. Stir in the flour and ground almonds to form a soft dough.

4. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge overnight.

5. Roll out the dough, cut into rounds, and line a muffin tin with the pastry.

6. Fill each pastry shell with the mincemeat, then cover with a pastry lid or star-shaped cutouts.

7. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown.