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Mince Pie Pinwheels or Mincemeat Pinwheels, a delicious twist on the classic Christmas dessert, mince pies. They are so quick and easy to make, and we only need two ingredients: puff pastry and mincemeat. The ingredients can be homemade, but the store-bought ones are just as good, and way quicker to use.
If you ask me about the first sweet treat that comes to my mind when I think of Christmas, it has to be the mince pies. After living in the UK (and now Isle of Man) for over 13 years, I can't possibly not link one to another. They are rich, overly sweet and buttery, and have the best Christmas flavour.
Not that making them at home is hard, but how about we make them extra easy by swapping the shortbread crust with puff pastry, and making them into mince pie pinwheels?
The prep is minimal, you don't even need 2 minutes from start to finish, and they are out of the oven in less than 30 minutes. Dead easy, right?
Now, they are already really sweet, and I mean sweet enough to give you instant diabetes, but that little sprinkle of powdered sugar makes them extra pretty, so why, not, feel free to use some.
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What is mincemeat
How to make mincemeat or mince pie pinwheels
Other mincemeat recipes
Mince Pie Pinwheels
What is mincemeat
And if you wonder if mincemeat has any meat in it, no, not at all. The modern mincemeat is just a mixture of chopped dried fruit, sugar, syrup, spices and spirits, although originally it did contain meat, way back in time.
The meat and fruit pies can be traced back to the 15th century, it's amazing how some recipes have stood the test of time after so long, even if they are a little bit different nowadays.
How to make mincemeat or mince pie pinwheels
Again, I never complicate my life making my own puff pastry. It must be a lot nicer, flakier, tastier, you name it, but good gracious God and heavens above, who has time to waste on homemade puff pastry? Even if I did have free time, which I hardly ever have, I would still spend my time on something a lot more productive.
So, store-bought puff pastry it is! Some larger supermarkets have the all-butter version, which is a lot pricier, but it does taste better. Otherwise, the regular one is absolutely fine. I used ready-rolled puff pasty, but the block one is also fine.
roll out the puff pasty sheet on a non-stick paper
spread the mincemeat over the puff pastry, making sure the edges are clear
roll the puff pastry into a large sausage - I roll from right to left, rather than down to up (it it makes any sense), as otherwise you will end up with more pinwheels, but they will not be as large
use a sharp knife to cut 10 slices, then arrange them on a non-stick baking tray
bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes or until golden
And that's it, some gorgeous mince pie pinwheels for that sweet tooth! This is indeed a very merry and sweet Christmas!
Other mincemeat recipes
Mincemeat Loaf Cake
Apple and Mincemeat Crumble
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Mince Pie Pinwheels
Mince Pie Pinwheels or Mincemeat Pinwheels, a delicious twist on the classic Christmas dessert, mince pies. They are so quick and easy to make, and we only need two ingredients: puff pastry and mincemeat. The ingredients can be homemade, but the store-bought ones are just as good, and way quicker to use. Christmas would not be the same without mince pies, and these little beauties are the next best thing.
To spread the joy, it was tradition in England that each member of the family gave the mixture a stir, while making a wish. And if you wanted to be ensure good health and happiness in the upcoming year, you should eat one mince pie every day for the Twelve Days of Christmas, from Christmas Eve until the 5th of January.
It is thought lucky to eat one mince pie on each of the twelve days of Christmas (ending with Epiphany, the 6th of January). The mincemeat mixture should only be stirred in a clockwise direction. To stir it anticlockwise is to bring bad luck for the coming year.
One of Britain's favourite sweet treats at Christmas is the mince pie. This crumbly pastry is filled with fruit, often soaked in brandy and flavoured with citrus and mild spice. However the mince pie was originally a savoury pie – and not even round!
Well, mince pies can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee, I'd say this would be the most common time to enjoy one of these decadent treats, but they are also traditionally brought out for dessert on Christmas day, along with Christmas fruit pudding, and either cream, ice cream, custard or brandy butter!
Today, the mince pie, usually made without meat (but often including suet or other animal fat), remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by many across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It has been claimed that eating the snack is illegal in England if done so on Christmas Day. The tradition comes from the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, when mince pies were banned at Christmas, along with other tasty treats.
Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.
Today, we are accustomed to eating mince pie as a dessert, but actually “minced” pie and its follow-up “mincemeat pie” began as a main course dish with with more meat than fruit (a mixture of meat, dried fruits, and spices).
Mincemeat pie is a dish that isn't very common in the American kitchen, which can lead to some confusion for cooks, even those on the Allrecipes staff.
In American English, "mincemeat" is a sweet pie filling (I think it's mince pie in BrE) which originally contained some meat but in modern times it is generally made mostly of apples and raisins. It's not very popular anymore, but you sometimes see it around Christmas time.
Mince pies are best served warm but not hot, dusted with icing sugar and with a dollop of cream, homemade brandy butter, or a drizzle of custard on the side. So, what do drink with it? Sherry is the traditional tipple-of-choice for mince pie lovers in Britain.
* Sweet sherry - again a traditional pairing and I think a good one. One of my favourites is Matusalem but own label cream sherries are perfectly good. * Tawny port - you may be used to drinking a ruby port like a Late Bottled Vintage but why not try a nutty 10 Year Old Tawny for a change?
Creme fraiche Supremely light and kissed with a lactic tang, creme fraiche is the hot mince pie's most elegant cooling counterpoint. Single or double cream Either will grease the wheels, so to speak. Custard There is something magical about the contrast between hot mince pie and cold cream on the same plate.
Many believe the idea for the mince pie originated with Middle Eastern cuisine in the 12th century, when spices and fruit were often used in savory and sweet meat dishes. Before refrigeration, spices and sugars were used for preservation to slow down spoilage.
During the Georgian times, mince pies were a status symbol at Christmas! Wealthy people liked to show off at their Christmas parties by having pies made is different shapes. Shaped pies could often fit together like a jigsaw!
Eating a mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas is said to bring good luck. Christmas pudding is another important dish. It's a rich pudding made with fruit and spices. It's traditionally made a month before Christmas and is a symbol of good luck and happiness for the coming year.
The original mince pies were oblong crib shapes decorated with a baby Jesus on top. The contents represent the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child, spices and plump middle eastern fruits. In the 1640's in England, Scotland and Ireland, the Puritans banned Christmas and everything related to the holiday.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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