Chefs Recipe: Mince Pies by Shay Cooper of The Goring London

This delicious traditional recipe gets a signature Shay Cooper update with a sweet financier batter crunch!

Sweet pastry

• 500g of plain flour
• 250g of caster sugar
• 250g of butter, cubed
• 2 large eggs

Financier batter

• 225g of caster sugar
• 90g of ground almonds
• 180g of plain flour
• 7 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 225g of butter

Filling

• 2 jars of Organic mincemeat
• 1 dash of brandy
• 2 2/3 handfuls of chopped almonds

To plate

• 1 dollop of crème fraîche

Start by making the pastry. Combine the flour and sugar, then create a well in the centre of the mix. Slowly fold in the butter until the mix is crumb-like. Add the eggs and work gently until the mix becomes smooth. Set aside.

To make the batter, place the sugar, ground almonds and flour together in a food processor with a whisk attachment, and mix on slow speed. Gradually add the egg white. Set aside.

Meanwhile heat the butter in a pan until it begins to change colour to a shade of hazelnut brown. When the butter has changed colour, pass it through a clean piece of linen or tea towel to remove any impurities.

While the butter is still warm, add it to your batter mix in a slow trickle until it is fully incorporated. Leave to chill.

Roll out the sweet pastry to a thickness of about 3mm, cut into disks and place in floured tart tins. Blind bake in the oven for around 10 minutes until pastry is cooked and crisp. Leave to cool on a wire rackreheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Once the pastry is cool, stir the brandy and nuts into the mincemeat. Half fill the tarts with the mincemeat mix. Top with some of the financier batter and smooth over with a palette knife.

Return the tarts to the oven and bake for 12 minutes until the financier batter is golden brown and cooked throughout. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.

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