Let me introduce myself, my name is Francesca and I am UpCircle's #1 source of free labour, their biggest fan and also Will (the co-founder)'s wife! My first passion in life is cooking, and so I thought I would share with you my mince pie recipe.

These mince pies are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, nut-free – perfect for all sorts of allergies and dietary requirements. So, there is absolutely no reason not to make, eat and enjoy them!

I hope you love them!

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup of Otto's Cassava Flour

1 tablespoon of coconut sugar

½ a teaspoon of salt

160g of coconut oil (can sub, ghee, butter, lard)

6-8 tablespoons of iced water

Method:

1. Sift your flour into a bowl (or into your food processor). Add sugar and salt. Mix.

2. Roughly chop your coconut oil (or fat of choice) into small pieces and add to the bowl (or mixer). Mix with your fingertips (or pulse) until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

3. Sprinkle in the iced water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing/mixing as you go. You should add enough water that the dough starts to leave the side of the processor/bowl.

4. Wrap in parchment paper and pop into the fridge for at least twenty minutes, or until ready to make pies.

5. Heat your oven to 200°C/400°F

6. Carefully roll just over half of your pastry out until thin. You can flour the surface or pop it between two pieces of baking paper to stop it sticking. Cut the pastry and line a 12-hole muffin tin (how many you can make is dependent on how big your mince pie tin is, my tin is massive so makes bigger ones!) and carefully line each. If the pastry tears, use pastry off-cuts to seal.

7. Place one tablespoon of Christmas mince into each pastry case. 

8. Roll the remaining pastry out, and cut out stars to fit as toppers. Pop a pastry star topper onto each pie.

9. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the mixture is bubbling.

10. Remove from tin onto cooling rack.

Ingredients for the mince pie filling: 

4 apples

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon 

Zest or 2 oranges (I like it fruity, you can reduce this to 1 orange)

Juice of 2 oranges (as per above) 

Handful of goji berries (not essential)

1inch fresh ginger grated 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom 

½ teaspoon ground ginger (I like it spicy but not essential if using fresh ginger)

1 tsp nutmeg 

1 tsp ground allspice 

(alternatively you can use a couple of teaspoons of a mixed spice blend or pumpkin pie spice blend. I also have a tendency to keep adding to the spices as the mixture cooks as we like it really strong and flavourful. Go with your personal preference and taste the mixture as it cooks).

5 dates destoned and diced (or a handful of currants/raisins – we go easy on the dried fruit for the sugar content but feel free to increase if you like your pies sweet!) 

1 tbsp of coconut oil 

Large handful of slivered almonds

Method:

1. Grate or chop apples leaving the skin on. 

2. Add to a saucepan with all the other ingredients. Cook over medium heat until all the ingredients are soft and caramelising. 

3. Leave to cool a little before filling pies.

If alcohol is tolerated, substitute some orange juice for 3 tablespoons brandy or rum.

Serve with coconut cream, coconut yoghurt, or another topping of choice!

Enjoy!