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!
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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
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
Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan-forced). Grease some mini-size muffin tins with butter.
Sift the plain flour and powdered sugar together. Sift the wholemeal flour, then add the sifted bit into the mix.
Cube the butter and rub it into the flour and sugar mix to form a breadcrumb consistency.
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.
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.
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.
Bake the mincemeat tarts in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
How to serve
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
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📋 Recipe
Mincemeat tarts
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
Nutrition
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.
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Sylvie says
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 🙂
Sarah Brooks says
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 😀