Starry mince pie tart
Serves 12
More effort
Prep:
Cook:
plus 1 hr freezing, 1 hr 45 mins chilling and 20 mins cooling
Prefer to serve a mince pie in wedges? Make this stunning tart as a centrepiece dessert to end a festive feast.
Skip to ingredients
Units:
- 175g salted butter
- 300g plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugarplus a little extra for sprinkling
- 50g extra-mature cheddar
- 125ml cold whole milk
- 300g mincemeat(vegetarian, if needed)
- 1 small cooking apple(about 150g), chopped into small cubes
- 2 tbsp Pedro Ximénez sherrybrandy or dark rum
- 1 eggbeaten
Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal333
- fat16g
- saturates9g
- carbs42g
- sugars22g
- fibre2g
- protein5g
- salt0.49g
Method
step 1
Put the butter in the freezer for at least 1 hr before starting. Combine the flour, cornflour, sugar and ¼ tsp fine salt in a large bowl.
step 2
Holding the frozen butter in its wrapper or a piece of baking parchment, grate it directly into the flour mixture using the coarse side of a box grater, pausing occasionally to stir the butter into the flour mixture using a cutlery knife (this helps prevent clumping). Once all the butter is incorporated, grate in the cheddar and gently mix again.
step 3
Pour in the milk and stir with the knife until large clumps form. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it just comes together into a smooth dough. Be careful not to overwork it – any visible streaks of butter will help create a flaky texture. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in parchment and chill for 1 hr.
step 4
Combine the mincemeat, apple and sherry in a bowl, and season with a twist of black pepper if you want to play up the sweet-savoury contrast.
step 5
Lightly butter a 22cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Remove the pastry from the fridge – if it’s very firm, leave at room temperature for 5-10 mins. Cut off about a third of the dough and set it aside.
step 6
Roll out the larger piece of pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin, and use it to line the tin, pressing it into the edge and trimming any excess. Put in the fridge to chill for 15 mins.
step 7
Spoon the mincemeat filling into the chilled tart case and spread to the edge. Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness, then use star-shaped cutters to stamp out a variety of stars in different sizes. Arrange these over the filling – they can overlap slightly or be spaced out, however you like. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle over some sugar. Put any extra stars on a baking sheet to bake alongside. Chill the tart for 30 mins, or up to a day. Will keep, wrapped and frozen, for up to two months.
step 8
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the tart for 35-40 mins, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the filling gently bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Once cool, will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
