David Athertons Viennese Mince Pies

Step into the world of festive baking with this mince pie recipe! Crafted by the talented 2019 GBBO winner David Atherton, this recipe is sure to be the crowning glory of your festive celebrations. David shares, “Mince pies are a festive favourite of mine, not just because they’re delicious, but also because they’re wonderfully convenient to prepare ahead of time—they stay fresh for several days, making them perfect for the busy festive season. While they might seem like a complicated bake, mince pies are surprisingly straightforward to make. The key is to give yourself plenty of time to go through each step. If you’re short on time or prefer a shortcut, feel free to use store-bought mincemeat from your favourite brand—it’s a great alternative and still delivers fantastic results.” 

In a medium saucepan, mix together the tea, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and spices. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Peel the apple. Grate half of it and add it to the saucepan. Cut the remaining half into 0.5 cm cubes and add those as well.

Add all the dried fruit (chop any large pieces to the size of a raisin).

Simmer the mixture until it thickens, then remove from heat and let it cool slightly before stirring in the brandy.

To make the pastry, combine the flour, icing sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs (if you don’t have a food processor you can get the same effect by rubbing with your fingers).

Add the water and pulse again until the dough starts to clump together.

Transfer the dough to a surface and knead it for about 30 seconds. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of at least 0.5 cm.

Use a biscuit cutter to cut out pastry discs, then line a cupcake tray with them. Place the tray in the fridge for 20 minutes while you prepare the Viennese topping and preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-assisted).

For the Viennese topping, cream the butter, almond extract, and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy (an electric mixer works best).

Mix in the flour and cornflour until just combined, then transfer the mixture to a piping bag.

Remove the pastry shells from the fridge and fill each one about 3/4 full with the mincemeat.

Pipe a swirl of the Viennese topping onto each pie and bake for 25 minutes.

Once baked, allow the pies to cool before serving.

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