Blackberry Frangipane Mince Pies
Is it too early to start thinking about mince pies? Yes. Absolutely yes, and I have no excuse ... Well… actually, I do ...
I was recently asked to consider putting together a Christmas food hamper. At the time it was July, the local blackberry bushes were fit to bursting, and my mind naturally drifted towards my Nature’s Larder collection of recipes.
I've always loved freezing blackberries. There's something fabulously useful about having a stash of them tucked away, ready to bring that deep, juicy blackberry flavour into pastries, shortbread and all sorts of bakes long after the hedgerows have gone quiet. And then I started wondering … How would that work in a frangipane? ... Well, there was only one way to find out; and somehow, somewhere between summer blackberries and thoughts of a Christmas hamper, we arrived at mince pies.
I know, it's September, But bear with me ...
Blackberry meets Christmas
I wanted the blackberry to be more than a decorative addition. I wanted it to become part of the frangipane itself. The blackberries were frozen first, allowing their juices to release and intensify, and then incorporated into the almond mixture without the frangipane becoming too wet.
I knew they would be pretty. The frangipane turns beautifully golden, but scattered through it are little pockets of deep blackberry colour, with the fruit bringing a gentle sharpness to the buttery almond filling. Underneath sits a generous layer of rich, spiced mincemeat.
And suddenly something very traditional has become something slightly different.
So, what are Blackberry Frangipane Mince Pies actually like?
Well … They're still a mince pie. The pastry is buttery and crisp, the mincemeat is rich and warmly spiced, and there is absolutely no mistaking that familiar Christmas flavour. But then you get the frangipane ... Soft, almondy, lightly crisp around the edges and threaded with blackberry. The blackberry cuts through the sweetness and richness beautifully, bringing a little piece of late summer hedgerow into what is otherwise very much a Christmas bake.
And I rather love that, because this is exactly what I wanted Nature's Larder to be about.
Not simply preserving food for the sake of it, but finding ways to carry seasonal ingredients forward. The blackberries that were tumbling off the bushes in August can become part of something that belongs around the Christmas table.
And yes, I know it's early… These were made because someone mentioned Christmas hampers in July. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!! ... Besides, if the blackberry bushes are going to hand me an idea, who am I to ignore them? ... So perhaps it isn't really too early ... Perhaps it's simply late summer meeting Christmas halfway. And, if I'm honest, I'm rather pleased they did.
Blackberry Frangipane Mince Pies - The Recipe
Makes approximately 24 mince pies
Ingredients
For the pies
2 packs ready-made shortcrust pastry
450g good-quality mincemeat
A handful of frozen blackberries
Icing sugar, for dusting
For the blackberry frangipane
140g soft unsalted butter
140g golden caster sugar
85g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
2 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp almond extract
Pinch of salt
8 to 10 frozen blackberries
Method
Prepare the pastry
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Lightly grease two 12-hole shallow bun tins.
Roll out the ready-made shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds large enough to line the bun tins. Gently press the pastry into each hole, taking care not to stretch it.
If your pastry is very soft, pop the lined tins into the fridge while you make the frangipane.
Make the frangipane
Beat the softened butter and golden caster sugar together until pale and creamy.
Add the self-raising flour, ground almonds, beaten eggs, almond extract and a pinch of salt. Beat until you have a smooth, soft frangipane mixture.
Now comes the blackberry bit ... Take a handful of frozen blackberries and crumble them into small pieces directly into the frangipane. Fold them through gently, but work quickly.
You don't want the blackberries to have time to thaw completely, release too much juice and make the frangipane wet. You're looking for little pieces of frozen blackberry distributed through the mixture rather than a purple blackberry batter.
Assemble
Spoon the mincemeat into the pastry cases, using roughly a dessertspoonful in each.
Top each with a generous spoonful of the blackberry frangipane, spreading it gently towards the edges of the pastry. Don't worry if it looks a little rustic. The frangipane will puff and spread as it bakes.
Bake
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the frangipane is risen and beautifully golden and the pastry is cooked through.
Keep an eye on them towards the end — the blackberry pieces can give the frangipane some darker, caramelised edges, which I rather like.
Leave the mince pies in their tins for around 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
Once cool, dust generously with icing sugar.
Jo's Kitchen Notes
The blackberries
This is one of those recipes where I think frozen blackberries are actually more useful than fresh. I freeze my blackberries when they're plentiful, which means I can bring that wonderful late-summer hedgerow flavour into the kitchen months later. For this recipe, I don't thaw them first. I crumble them while they're still frozen and fold them straight into the frangipane.
But don't hang about.
Once those little pieces of blackberry start to defrost, they'll release their gorgeous dark juices into the frangipane. A little is exactly what we want — you'll get those beautiful little purple streaks and pockets of fruit — but too much will make the mixture unnecessarily wet.
So have your blackberries ready, crumble, fold and get those pies assembled.
Don't expect perfectly uniform pies.
And don't try too hard to make them so.
Some of mine developed lovely little pools of blackberry through the frangipane, some had darker caramelised edges and some were beautifully rustic. That's part of their charm.
The pastry
I used ready-made shortcrust pastry here because, quite frankly, sometimes the pastry doesn't need to be the project. Two packs gave me plenty to work with and made these considerably quicker to put together.
Continue Cooking With Me
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:
