Spiced Apple Mince Pies

Here is the gluten free, vegan, and even sugar free version of the traditional mincemeat pie. No worries, you get your sweetness from all the dried dates that go into this recipe! When I was searching for its roots, I found that mince pie originated in old medieval England, where it was served as a main dish with lots of meat, fruits, and spices during the holiday season. I’m very glad that mince pies are still a thing, and that we can tweak them into these healthy, nutritious, and heavenly tasting personal sized desserts. And who says you can only eat them around the holidays?! Enjoy the festive aromas that will fill your kitchen whenever you feel like it!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 Tbsp filtered water
• 6.5 oz (180g) pecans
• 3.5 oz (100g) dried dates, pitted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 3Tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves

For the filling:

• generous 3 oz (90g) dates
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 medium sized apples (I used Fuji)
• 1 walnut-size piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/3 packed cup (45g) raisins
• 1/3 packed cup (45g) dried cranberries ( I used apple-juice-sweetened)
• 1/2 cup (50g) chopped pecans
• 1 tsp cinnamon, or some more if you like
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• soaking water from dates (scant cup)

For work surface and the final touch:

• unsweetened, shredded coconut

To grease muffin pan:

• coconut oil

Preparation:

Soak dates in 1 cup filtered water for the filling.

Make a flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp of water, and let sit for a few minutes.

Grease the muffin pan for 8 mini pies.

You can use a food processor to pulse the pecans into a rather coarse meal. I used the chopper attachment of my hand blender, and it worked just fine. Make sure not to over-process (see * in notes!!!). Place ground pecans into a medium size bowl, and process the dates until they form a sticky ball. Place them into the bowl with the pecans. Add the remaining crust ingredients, including the “flax egg”, and knead thoroughly with your hands until you have a sticky but firm dough. Let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, core and cut apples into rather thin wedges, then thinly slice them. Mince ginger, and chop soaked dates (don’t dump water!). Heat a medium size saucepan on medium heat. Add coconut oil with chopped apples and minced ginger to the saucepan. Gradually add all filling ingredients, including the soaking water for the dates, and simmer for about 30 minutes. You might have to reduce the heat to a medium low setting. Stir occasionally.

While the filling is simmering, finish the pie crusts, and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Sprinkle coconut shreds on your work surface so the dough won’t stick to it. Here are 2 ways to get the dough into the muffin molds:

(1) You can either roll out the dough a little bit more than a quarter inch (about 1 cm) thick and cut out circles with the rim of a cup or large glass that are slightly bigger than the molds of the cupcake pan. Cut out an equal amount of stars, or whatever shape you like, with a cookie cutter. Use up all the dough by kneading, rolling, and cutting out again. Carefully transfer the circles into the molds, and reshape them with your fingers. They should go all the way up the sides. Spoon the filling into the molds, and put the stars on top.

(2) Since I like to shape and mold with my fingers, this is my way of handling the crust. First, roll out about 1/3 of the dough a little bit more than a quarter inch (about 1 cm) thick, then cut out 8 stars. Equally distribute the rest of the dough between the 8 muffin molds. Press the dough firmly down with your fingers and shape a crust that goes all the way up the sides. Spoon the filling into the molds, and put the stars on top.

Bake for 18 minutes (yes, 18! … because 15 was not quite enough and 20 would have been too much). It really depends on your oven. Just keep an eye on the pies, because they really shouldn’t turn any darker. Sprinkle with more coconut shreds, if you want. Enjoy warm or at room temperature!

Notes:

• (*) Don’t make the same mistake I made in my first test run! I put all the crust ingredients into my high speed blender. Even though I only blended at medium speed, the result was a mess. The oils from the pecans separated and made the dough unmanageable. Pecans need to be chopped separately at a lower speed!
• If you have leftovers, you can either keep them in the fridge for a couple days or freeze them. Either way, you can easily warm them up in the oven. Frozen ones should be thawed first.
• They are absolutely delicious with or without coconut whipped cream!