Air Fryer Mince Pies
It’s beginning to look like… MINCE PIE SEASON! And I’ll be honest, it’s a struggle for me to even wait until end of November to have my first mince pie.
I am an absolute mince pie fiend. I could have them all year round. Cold with a cuppa tea. Warm with a blob of cream. Ice cream? Custard? I’m in. I like them full to the brim with mince pie and delicious Christmassy spices. Full until my heart’s content.
Now you also know I LOVE an air fryer. So making an air fryer version of the classic mince pie just made sense… and it’s surprisingly easy.
I will say as well… you can’t beat a mince pie straight out of the oven (or in this case, the air fryer!) when it’s warm, the cream melts on top, and it just gives you all the Christmas feels. Sign me right up!
Ingredients
- 250g plain white flour
- 45g icing sugar
- 25g ground almonds
- 150g butter, cubed and chilled
- 1tbsp ice cold water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 350g of good quality mince meat
Method
- Using your thumbs and fingertips, rub the flour, icing sugar, ground almonds and butter into a breadcrumb consistency.
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the beaten egg and some of the ice cold water until it comes together in a dough. You may not need all of the water, or a little more. Try not to overwork the pastry, otherwise it will become chewy instead of crisp in the oven.
- Split the dough in half, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
- When the dough is rested, roll 1 of the halves out to about 1/2’’ thick. Cut a circle large enough to line your tin and gently place the pastry in. If you are doing larger mince pies then line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or dry rice to weigh it down, and cook in the air fryer on 140oc for 10-15 minutes until starting to turn golden underneath. If you are doing mince pies in a small muffin tray, you can skip this step.
- Remove the baking beans or rice and the parchment. Fill the cases with your favourite mince pie filling almost to the top.
- Roll out the remaining half of your pastry dough and cut out your lids. Use a splash of water and your fingertip to brush round the edges of the case, then place the lid on top and gently press it together.
- Cut a small hole in the top of the pastry to let steam escape, then return to the air fryer for approximately 15 minutes until crisp and golden all over. Serve warm with Chantilly cream or brandy butter.