Turmeric mince pie recipe for cosy gatherings - Liz Earle Wellbeing (2024)

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Ingredients

For the pastry

• 400g wholemeal flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2-3 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp turmeric powder
• 200g cold butter, cubed
• 7-8 tbsp chilled water

For the mincemeat

• 100g raisins
• 100g cut mixed peel
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 100g almonds, roughly chopped
• 5 tbsp honey
• 1 thumb ginger, grated
• Handful of dates
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (ideally fresh)
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 satsumas (or one orange), zest and juice
• 1 apple, cored and finely chopped
• 130ml brandy
• Beaten egg

Method

1. First make your mincemeat. In a bowl, add all the ingredients, mix well and cover with a tea towel. Leave for at least two days before either using or putting in a jar.
2. For the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl (add in the husks) and add the salt, sugar and turmeric. Take the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture. Use a light touch here so the butter doesn’t melt too quickly. When it’s an even breadcrumb texture, add a few tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture together into a dough. Add more water if needed (not too much, though!).
3. Make the dough into a ball shape, then press into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. When you’re ready to make your mince pies, heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Aim for 3mm thickness, and roll in short strokes, turning the pastry 90 degrees every few strokes. Use a 10cm circle cutter to create around 12 bases and place them into a muffin tray.
5. Add in a generous tablespoon of mincemeat to each base. Roll out the pastry remains to make lids – you could cut star shapes, but if not, make little holes or slashes in the top. Brush the edges and tops of the pastry cases with beaten egg and sprinkle with a little sugar or honey before popping them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Leave to cool before serving and sieve over icing sugar and turmeric to finish.