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    You are here: Home / Christmas / Mincemeat tarts

    Mincemeat tarts

    Published: Dec 13, 2020 · Modified: Nov 12, 2024 by Sarah Brooks

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    Jump to Recipe
    Mincemeat tart propped up against a stack of tarts, with holly and a star in the background and text overlay, mincemeat tarts and KCAEIC.

    These buttery homemade mincemeat tarts are bursting with spiced fruit flavor. With just five ingredients they are simple to make and full of festive cheer!

    Plate of mincemeat tarts with Christmas decorations.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe:
    • Ingredients
    • How to make mincemeat tarts
    • How to serve
    • How to store
    • Tips for success and frequently asked questions
    • More yummy Christmas dessert recipes!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ah mince tarts. Not to be confused with the savory, meatier version, mince tarts are one of those festive foods that's synonymous with Christmas in my house. My family gobble them up as soon as the calendar strikes December. We buy them by the tray and they get eaten just as quickly.

    But my homemade mincemeat tarts recipe is something else altogether. They are smaller, so you can have more than one. And there's more mincemeat and less pastry, so they're lighter and easier to eat. And with just a hint of wholemeal flour which brings a subtle nuttiness and helps cut through the sweetness.

    You will need to squirrel some of these away so they last until Christmas day, but they are so easy to make you might as well just whip up a second batch!

    Why you'll love this recipe:

    • Easy to make with mincemeat from a jar.
    • Keeps well so you can make them well ahead of Christmas day.
    • A generous mincemeat-to-pastry ratio.
    • Bite-sized so you can have more than one!
    • Great for a Christmas dessert table, a Christmas party or when friends pop over during the festive season!

    Looking for more fabulous easy Christmas desserts? Why not try my Christmas pudding ice cream, easy gingerbread rocky road, or candy cane hearts. Merry Christmas!

    Ingredients

    Mincemeat tarts ingredients, unsalted butter, jar of fruit mince, plain four, wholemeal flour, icing sugar.

    Fruit mince: keep things simple with fruit mince from a jar. Use the best quality fruit mince your budget allows. You could use homemade fruit mince if you prefer.

    Plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour. It's important to use flour that does not have any rising agents in it.

    Plain wholemeal flour: some wholemeal flour helps balance the sweetness of these mince tarts and gives them a lovely savory edge and cuts through the sweetness. If you really can't stand wholemeal flour you can replace it with the same amount of plain flour.

    Butter: unsalted butter is best for this recipe.

    Powdered sugar: also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar. The icing sugar helps give the pastry in these tarts a smooth texture. It's important to make sure you sift it before adding or your pastry will be lumpy.

    Optional:

    Egg: for th egg wash, to help make the pastry extra golden.

    How to make mincemeat tarts

    greasing mini muffin tins.

    Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan-forced). Grease some mini-size muffin tins with butter.

    sifting in plain flour.
    sifting in icing sugar.
    sifting in wholemeal flour.
    adding sifted out wholegrains.

    Sift the plain flour and powdered sugar together. Sift the wholemeal flour, then add the sifted bit into the mix.

    adding cubed butter to dry ingredients.
    rubbing butter into the dry ingredients with hands.

    Cube the butter and rub it into the flour and sugar mix to form a breadcrumb consistency.

    adding water to dough.
    starting to kneed dough.

    Add the water and mix until dough forms. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and kneed lightly until the dough becomes smooth. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough and your pastry will shrink when it bakes.

    ready to roll dough on floured surface.
    cutting out bases and start tops from dough.

    Roll the pastry out to about ⅕ of an inch (½ cm) thick. Use a round cutter to cut out circles for the tart bases and star shapes for the tops. You want the bases to come about halfway up your molds.

    spooning fruit mince into tart cases.
    adding star tops to tarts.

    Add about a teaspoon of fruit mince into each tart. Do not overfill your tarts or they will boil over. Place a pastry star on top of each tart.

    Hot tip: for extra golden pastry you can brush the tops lightly with egg wash. Beat one large egg with one tablespoon of water and brush on lightly.

    Tarts in mini muffin molds ready to bake.

    Bake the mincemeat tarts in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

    How to serve

    Mincemeat tarts on a Christmas serviette, next to mincemeat tarts on a cooling rack.

    To serve the mincemeat tartlets pop them onto a pretty festive plate and dust with icing sugar. They are perfect to serve after a Christmas feast, as part of a festive dessert bar or when friends and family pop over during the festive season.

    How to store

    These fruit mince tarts can be stored in an airtight container lined with baking paper at room temperature for up to four weeks so you can make them well in advance of Christmas day.

    Tips for success and frequently asked questions

    Why is it called mincemeat?

    Mincemeat is a mix of chopped fruit, alcohol and spices. Originally mincemeat also contained meat, typically beef or venison. Modern-day mincemeat does not contain meat, but some still contain beet suet.

    In some parts of the world mincemeat is referred to as minced or ground meat, also known as hamburger meat in the USA.

    Can I make these tarts with homemade mincemeat?

    You sure can, simply swap the mincemeat from a jar for homemade. If using homemade mincemeat instead keep on eye on the tarts as they may not last as long.

    My pastry has shrunk, help!

    This can happen if you overwork the pastry. It activates the gluten and makes it all stick together more. Make sure you use a light touch next time. In the meantime your tarts will still be yummy, just a bit messier if the filling has overflowed the edges.

    Do these tarts need to be refrigerated?

    No sweet mincemeat tarts do not need to be refrigerated, especially if they are made with store-bought fruit mince. The tarts are made from shelf-stable, preserved dried fruit with lots of sugar and cooked pastry with shelf-stable ingredients.

    How long will these tarts keep for?

    These mincemeat tarts in this recipe will last up to four weeks if stored in an airtight container lined with parchment paper. As with any home-baked goods it's always best to keep an eye on them in case your storage conditions are not as ideal as you think they are.

    More yummy Christmas dessert recipes!

    Why not try making

    • Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
    • Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake
    • Gingerbread men
    • Old fashioned fruit cake
    • White Christmas

    Remember to subscribe to the Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream newsletter and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes to tempt your taste buds!

    Mincemeat tart propped against a stack of mincemeat tarts, with holly in the background.

    Put any photos of your delicious creations on socials? Tag @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream on Insta so I can see your delicious creations!

    Have you made this recipe? Please leave a star rating and comment below 🙂 It helps other people find the recipe so they can share the deliciousness!

    📋 Recipe

    Plate of mincemeat tarts with Christmas decorations.

    Mincemeat tarts

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    These buttery homemade mincemeat tarts are bursting with warm, spiced fruit flavor. With just five ingredients they are simple to make and full of festive cheer!
    5 from 2 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine British
    Servings 36 mini tartlets, approx.
    Calories 76 kcal

    Equipment

    • mini muffin tins
    • Round and star cookie cutters

    Ingredients

    • 1 jar (14oz/ 410gms ) pre-made fruit mince
    • 1 cup (150gms) plain flour or all purpose flour
    • 1 cup (135 gms) wholemeal flour
    • 1 stick plus one tablespoon (125gms) unsalted butter
    • ¼ cup (60gms) powdered sugar
    • approx. 4 tablespoons cold water
    • extra butter for greasing muffin tins
    • extra powdered sugar to decorate

    Optional egg wash

    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tablespoon water

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan-forced). Grease the mini muffin tins
    • Sift the flour and sugar together.
    • Add the butter. Rub gently between your hands to form a breadcrumb consistency.
    • Add the water and mix until a dough forms.
    • Turn onto a lightly floured surface and lightly kneed until dough becomes smooth.
    • Roll the pastry out until it's about ½ cm thick.
    • Cut out circle cookie cutter shapes for the bases and start shapes for the lids. The base should fit nicely in the greased muffin tin to form a shallow dish.
    • Add about a teaspoon of mincemeat into each tart. Do not overfill or they will bubble over and become sticky.
    • Put a star on top for the lid.
    • Optional: for extra golden brown pastry beat one large egg and one tablespoon of water well together, then lightly bush ontop of the stars.
    • Bake in the oven until golden brown, about ten to fifteen minutes.
    • Once done remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
    • Dust with icing sugar if desired or gobble them up as they are.

    Notes

    Ingredients:
    Jars of fruit mincemeat are available from supermarkets and online during the festive season, or you could use homemade.
    Storage:  
    Up to four weeks at room temperature in a lined, airtight container.  No need to refrigerate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 32mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 79IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.5mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: christmas tarts, fruit tart, mince tarts
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    Stack of fruit mincemeat tarts with Christmas decorations in the background.
    Stack of fruit mincemeat tarts.

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    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sylvie says

      December 14, 2020 at 12:26 am

      5 stars
      Mincemeat tarts are always so great for the holidays and I love this mini version of them! They would make a great edible gift or an original addition to a cookie exchange 🙂

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        December 14, 2020 at 11:42 am

        Thanks Sylvie. I've always made the mini version, I think the store bought ones are to big! Plus this way you can eat more without being to much of a piggy 😀

        Reply
    Mincemeat tart propped up against a stack of tarts, with holly and a star in the background and text overlay, mincemeat tarts and KCAEIC.
    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream
    Ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

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