Nutty Chocolate Mince Pies
Ok I have a love hate relationship with mince pies and I know I’m not alone! There was only ever one mince pie I liked and I’m pretty sure it was because I was ravenous. I have made so many mince pie recipes on the blog and you will see they all feature a little added crunch and nutty love to help me like them. I wanted to re-make these traditional staples into a winner all around for everyone …. welcome chocolate! I love chocolate cups and this nutty mince meat filling is unreal both in the cups and alone. I dare you to try these on a non mince pie lover, I have converted 4 people so far. I think they would be a fantastic treat to make for friends calling over during the Christmas period or even on the day itself as they can be made in advance and last ages, the perfect non stress treat!
Serves 10
Cooks in 35 Minutes
Ingredients
- 140g Pecans
- 80g hazelnuts or almonds
- 1 orange zest and juice of 1/2 the orange
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 60g dried cranberries
- 100g raisins
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract( optional)
- 400g dark chocolate melted
Method
- Start by toasted the nuts. Place the pecans and hazelnuts on a flat tray and set to the oven for 12-15 minutes at 180°C, until slightly browned.
- Chop up the nuts or crush using a pestle and mortar into chunks .
- In a bowl combine the chopped up nuts, dried fruit, spices, orange zest and juice, maple and extract to make the mince.
- (THIS STEP IN OPTIONAL)Take half the mix and blend it in a food processor for a few seconds into a chunky dough and stir it back into the mince, this creates a nice mix of smooth and crunch to the mince.
- Prepare 10 paper cups on a flat tray( to lift in and out of the fridge or freezer)and add 1 tbsp of melted chocolate to each using the back of the spoon to spread it out.
- Set to the freezer to firm up.
- Add 1 heaped tbsp. of mince into each cup case over the hardened chocolate and press flat using the tips of your fingers.
- Pour over the rest of the melted chocolate until the mince is covered.
- Store in the fridge for up to 12 days.
- FYI-there will be 2 tbsp of mince left just for nibbles !