First thing to do is make the keto mincemeat. It will store up to 2 weeks in a sterilised jar or you can freeze it.
I used brandy and some delicious infused gin that tastes just like Christmas.
This batch will do around 18 deep mince pies as shown above or 24 small ones. Freeze what you don't use.
Nutritional Values of Mincemeat (based on 15g serving size)
46 Kcals
2.7g fat
4.4g net carbohydrates
0.5g protein
150g dried cranberries or dried cherries (Cherries are much lower carb) 75g frozen blueberries (optional) ½ Bramley apple finely diced 40g pecan nuts, finely chopped Juice and zest of 2 clementines 75g Sukrin gold or to taste 2-3 tbsp brandy 50g butter 2 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 2 tsp vanilla essence 2-4 tbsp ground almonds
Place all ingredients in a saucepan apart from the ground almonds
Heat gently until the fruits have softened
This will create more juice so add 1 tbsp of ground almonds at a time until you achieve your desired consistency
Cool or store as above until using
You can add more or less spices and brandy to suit your taste.
This is low carb but not very low due to the fruits. My theory is better to have a few of these than the real thing! You may go over your carbs this Christmas but can still stay on diet.
The Pastry (For 12 Servings)
This is a really basic pastry, it works well, but when cooking you will see some bubbles of fat, but don't worry, it will still come out perfectly.
Nutritional value for pastry - based on 12 servings
77 kcal
7.6g fat
0.5g net carbohydrates
1g protein
I have several pastry recipes. This one was a simple ground almond pastry.
100g butter 300g ground almonds
1 heaped tbsp coconut flour 1 large egg
You can also make with ground hazelnuts, pecans or a combination of any of the nuts.
Melt the butter
Place the ground almonds and coconut flour in a bowl, add the melted butter and egg.
Combine well to form a dough.
Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
To assemble the Mince Pies
Preheat your oven to 175c fan
This pastry is not easy to handle, so the easiest way is to create a small ball, push into the base of your muffin pan, use your fingers to gently flatten and spread to form an even layer of pastry. Once done, ensure there is no holes or gaps. You don't want the mincemeat escaping!
I then place these in the oven to cook for 8-10 minutes. This ensures you don't get a soggy bottom as the dough has a lot of fat in it so needs an extra blind bake.
Remove from the oven and fill immediately with your mincemeat.
To create the top, you can take a small ball of dough, form a ball, then press down onto a board or silicon mat until it flattens to form a round circle similar size to the top of your mince pie. Lift this off and place onto the top of the mincemeat. Press down gently to seal. You can wash with an egg if you wish.
Place back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until golden on top
As you can see from the base of the mince pie, shown here, the bottom is cooked perfectly, ensuring a lovely crisp pastry.
Serve hot or cold with a dollop of thick cream.
Merry Christmas!!