Ultimate Festive Fruit Mince Pies with Irresistible Hazelnut Crust
Searching for that perfect festive treat bursting with the flavors of the season? Look no further! These homemade Fruit Mince Pies with Hazelnut Crust are exactly what you need to bring holiday cheer to your table. Imagine a warmly spiced, rich fruit filling, elevated by crunchy roasted hazelnuts, and a splash of aromatic cognac (or bright orange juice for a non-alcoholic option). All of this goodness is lovingly wrapped in a tender, buttery pastry that boasts a delightful nutty undertone from ground hazelnuts. They are truly the ultimate holiday indulgence, perfect for your Christmas feast, an elegant high tea, or simply a cozy afternoon at home. Each bite of these beautifully crafted pies feels as special and memorable as the holiday season itself.
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Why These Fruit Mince Pies Are a Holiday Must-Have
These aren’t just any mince pies; they’re a celebration of rich holiday traditions infused with a delightful modern twist. The moment you take a bite, the warming spices like cloves and allspice transport you to bustling Christmas markets, while the sweet, tangy medley of currants, raisins, and cranberries sings with festive joy. What truly sets these pies apart is the innovative hazelnut-infused pastry. It adds an incredible depth of nutty flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth tender texture that beautifully complements the fruit filling. Despite their gourmet taste, these homemade fruit mince pies are surprisingly simple to make, ensuring even novice bakers can achieve professional-tasting results. You’ll take immense pride in serving these to your loved ones, or perhaps, keep a secret stash just for yourself!
A Nod to Tradition, A Step to Innovation: Fruit mince pies have a long and storied history, evolving from medieval meat-filled pies to the sweet, fruit-laden delights we cherish today. Our recipe honors this heritage while introducing the distinctive aroma and crunch of hazelnuts, making them a unique and memorable addition to your holiday baking repertoire. They are the quintessential Christmas treat, embodying the spirit of comfort and indulgence.
Essential Ingredients for Your Hazelnut Fruit Mince Pies
Crafting these exceptional mince pies starts with selecting the right ingredients. The full, detailed list can be found in the recipe card below, but here are some insights and tips to help you achieve perfection:
For the Rich Spiced Fruit Mince Filling:
- Currants, Raisins, and Dried Cranberries: This trio creates a complex sweetness and texture. Ensure your raisins are finely chopped for even distribution of flavor and a smooth consistency in the mince.
- Small Apples: Peeled and grated apples add moisture, a lovely tartness to balance the sweetness, and a fresh fruity dimension. Granny Smith or Honeycrisp varieties work wonderfully.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Provides a deep, molasses-rich sweetness that complements the dried fruits and spices beautifully.
- Ground Cloves and Allspice: These are the warming heart of your fruit mince, delivering that unmistakable festive aroma and flavor. Using freshly ground spices will always yield a more potent and aromatic result.
- Lemon Zest and Juice: Essential for brightening the overall flavor profile, cutting through the richness, and adding a zesty kick. Always use fresh lemons for the best zest and juice.
- Cognac: This is a secret weapon for depth of flavor. The alcohol cooks off, leaving behind a complex, rich aroma that truly elevates the mince. For a non-alcoholic version, you can replace it with an equal amount of freshly squeezed orange juice, which will still provide a lovely citrusy warmth.
- Roasted and Chopped Hazelnuts: Added just before assembly, these provide a delightful crunch and echo the nutty flavor of the crust, creating a harmonious taste experience.
For the Buttery Hazelnut Crust:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our tender pastry. Using good quality flour is always recommended.
- Ground Hazelnuts: The star ingredient of the crust! Toasting your hazelnuts lightly before grinding them can intensify their nutty aroma and flavor, making the crust even more irresistible. If you don’t have hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts can be swapped for a different, but equally delicious, nutty flavor.
- Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Contributes to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the crust and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Ground Gingerbread Spices: This blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sometimes cloves, adds another layer of holiday warmth and aromatic complexity to the pastry. Feel free to use your favorite festive spice blend.
- Cold Butter: Chopped into small pieces, cold butter is crucial for achieving a flaky, tender pastry. It prevents the gluten from developing too much and creates pockets of steam during baking.
- Egg Yolk: Acts as a binder, adds richness, and contributes to the golden color of the crust.
- Ice Water: Just a touch of ice water helps bring the dough together without making it tough. The cold temperature also helps keep the butter solid.
- Orange Zest: Added to the fruit mince just before filling the pies, this enhances the citrus notes and adds a fresh burst of flavor.
- Egg (lightly beaten): Used to brush the edges of the pastry to help seal the tops and give the pies a beautiful golden glaze.
Baking Your Perfect Fruit Mince Pies: Step-by-Step Guide
Creating these delightful pies is a rewarding process. Follow these detailed steps for a truly memorable holiday treat.
- Step 1: Prepare the Flavorful Fruit Mince
In a large mixing bowl, combine the currants, finely chopped raisins, dried cranberries, grated apples, dark brown sugar, ground cloves, allspice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cognac. Stir all these ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined. The mixture should be moist and fragrant. Transfer this aromatic fruit mixture into an airtight jar or container. Allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 day, or ideally, several days. This crucial marination period allows the flavors to meld and deepen, resulting in a richer, more complex filling. Just before you’re ready to assemble your pies, stir in the roasted and chopped hazelnuts. Adding them at this stage ensures they retain their delightful crunch during baking.
- Step 2: Craft the Tender Hazelnut Dough
In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, ground hazelnuts, confectioners’ sugar, and gingerbread spices. Pulse a few times to ensure they are well mixed. Add the cold butter, which has been chopped into small pieces. Pulse the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Be careful not to over-process. Next, add the egg yolk and gradually add a little ice water, one teaspoon at a time, pulsing just until the dough comes together. It should form a ball that is moist but not sticky. Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, gently knead it once or twice to ensure everything is incorporated, and flatten it into a disc. Wrap it tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This chilling period is vital as it allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, making the dough easier to roll out and ensuring a flaky crust.
- Step 3: Assemble Your Festive Mince Pies
Preheat your oven to 430°F (220°C). Lightly grease an 8-cavity cupcake tin. On a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of baking paper for easier handling), roll out your chilled dough to an even thickness of about ¼ inch (½ cm). Using a 3-inch (8 cm) round cutter, cut out 8 circles for the pie bases. Carefully press each circle into the prepared cupcake tin cavities, gently molding them to fit. In a small bowl, combine your prepared fruit mince with the fresh orange zest. Spoon a generous amount of this flavorful fruit mince into each pastry base, ensuring it’s well-filled but not overflowing. Now, roll out the remaining dough and use a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter (a fluted or serrated edge cutter adds a nice touch) to cut out 8 smaller circles for the pie tops. For that classic mince pie look, cut a small decorative shape (like a star or a cross, about ½ inch / 1 cm wide) in the center of each top. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry bases with a beaten egg. Carefully place the smaller dough circles on top of the fruit filling, pressing down gently around the edges to seal them securely. This helps prevent the filling from bubbling out during baking.
- Step 4: Bake to Golden Perfection & Serve Warm
Place the cupcake tin with your assembled fruit mince pies into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the pastry is beautifully golden brown and the filling is bubbly. The tempting aroma will fill your kitchen! Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and let the pies cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. This allows them to set and makes them easier to handle. Then, carefully transfer the warm pies to a wire rack to cool completely. For a truly festive finish, dust them generously with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. These pies are absolutely divine served warm, allowing their spiced fruit flavors and buttery hazelnut crust to shine.
Perfect Pairings: What to Serve with Your Fruit Mince Pies
These exquisite hazelnut mince pies are a delight on their own, but pairing them with a complementary beverage or topping can elevate the experience even further. Here are some ideas:
- A warm pot of classic Earl Grey tea or a fragrant, homemade spiced chai offers a comforting counterpoint to the rich sweetness of the pies.
- For an extra touch of decadence, serve them with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, a scoop of creamy vanilla bean ice cream, or traditional brandy butter.
- A glass of mulled wine, a port, or a quality dessert wine would also be a sophisticated pairing for adult gatherings.
Did you bake this delicious Fruit Mince Pie with Hazelnut Crust recipe? We’d absolutely love to see your creations! Tag #byandreajanssen on Instagram! I enjoy seeing what you come up with and regularly share the most beautiful photos from our community. Enjoyed this festive recipe? Please take a moment to leave a rating on the recipe card below! Your valuable feedback is incredibly helpful to other home cooks and to me, helping our community grow.
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📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Andréa
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Fruit mince
- ⅔ cup currants
- ⅓ cup raisins, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 small apples, peeled and grated
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ground
- ½ teaspoon allspice ground
- ½ lemon, grated zest and juice
- 4 tablespoons Cognac
- ½ cup hazelnuts , roasted and chopped
Fruit mince pies hazelnut crust
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup hazelnuts, ground
- ⅔ cup confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground gingerbread spices
- 1½ stick butter, chopped into pieces
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons ice water
- fruit mince, recipe above
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Fruit mince
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Mix all ingredients, except the hazelnuts, in a bowl.⅔ cup currants, ⅓ cup raisins, ⅓ cup dried cranberries, 2 small apples, ½ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon allspice ground, ½ lemon, 4 tablespoons Cognac
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Transfer the mixture to a jar and let it marinate for at least 1 day. This enhances the flavor.
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Stir in the roasted hazelnuts just before using the fruit mince.½ cup hazelnuts
Prepare the dough
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Combine the flour, ground hazelnuts, confectioner’s sugar, spices, and butter in a food processor. Process until the mixture looks crumbly.1¾ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup hazelnuts, ⅔ cup confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons ground gingerbread spices, 1½ stick butter
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Add the egg yolk and enough ice water (2 teaspoons) to form a dough. Use the pulse function to mix.1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons ice water
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Place the dough on plastic wrap, knead lightly, and shape it into a ball.
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Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 430 °F.
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Grease 8 cavities of a cupcake tin.
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Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of ¼ inch (5 mm).
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Cut out 8 circles, each 3 inches (8 cm)in diameter, and press them gently into the cupcake tin cavities.
Fill the pies:
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Mix the prepared fruit mince with the orange zest.fruit mince, 2 teaspoons orange zest
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Fill the dough cups with the fruit mince mixture.
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Roll out the remaining dough to 5 mm thick. Cut out 8 circles, each 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) in diameter, using a serrated edge cutter. Cut a small shape (about ½ inch / 1 cm wide) in the center of each circle.
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Brush the edges of the dough cups with beaten egg and place the dough circles on top. Press lightly to seal.1 egg
Bake the pies:
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Bake the pies in the oven for 25 minutes.
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Let them cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
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Once cooled, sprinkle the pies with confectioner’s sugar for a festive touch.
Notes
2. Storage
- At room temperature: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- In the freezer: Freeze unbaked pies for up to 1 month. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
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