Starry mince pie tart
- Cassie Best
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Serves 12
More effort
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 40 mins
plus 1 hr freezing, 1 hr 45 mins chilling and 20 mins cooling
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.2 ratingsRate
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Prefer to serve a mince pie in wedges? Make this stunning tart as a centrepiece dessert to end a festive feast.
Freezable
Vegetarian
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Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
175g salted butter
-
300g plain flour
plus extra for dusting
-
1 tbsp cornflour
-
2 tbsp granulated sugar
plus a little extra for sprinkling
-
50g extra-mature cheddar
-
125ml cold whole milk
-
300g mincemeat
(vegetarian, if needed)
-
1 small cooking apple
(about 150g), chopped into small cubes
-
2 tbsp Pedro Ximénez sherry
brandy or dark rum
-
1 egg
beaten
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Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal333
- fat16g
- saturates9g
- carbs42g
- sugars22g
- fibre2g
- protein5g
- salt0.49g
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Method
-
step 1
Put the butter in the freezer for at least 1 hr before starting. Combine the flour, cornflour, sugar and ¼ tsp fine salt in a large bowl.
-
step 2
Holding the frozen butter in its wrapper or a piece of baking parchment, grate it directly into the flour mixture using the coarse side of a box grater, pausing occasionally to stir the butter into the flour mixture using a cutlery knife (this helps prevent clumping). Once all the butter is incorporated, grate in the cheddar and gently mix again.
-
step 3
Pour in the milk and stir with the knife until large clumps form. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it just comes together into a smooth dough. Be careful not to overwork it – any visible streaks of butter will help create a flaky texture. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in parchment and chill for 1 hr.
-
step 4
Combine the mincemeat, apple and sherry in a bowl, and season with a twist of black pepper if you want to play up the sweet-savoury contrast.
-
step 5
Lightly butter a 22cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Remove the pastry from the fridge – if it’s very firm, leave at room temperature for 5-10 mins. Cut off about a third of the dough and set it aside.
-
step 6
Roll out the larger piece of pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin, and use it to line the tin, pressing it into the edge and trimming any excess. Put in the fridge to chill for 15 mins.
-
step 7
Spoon the mincemeat filling into the chilled tart case and spread to the edge. Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness, then use star-shaped cutters to stamp out a variety of stars in different sizes. Arrange these over the filling – they can overlap slightly or be spaced out, however you like. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle over some sugar. Put any extra stars on a baking sheet to bake alongside. Chill the tart for 30 mins, or up to a day. Will keep, wrapped and frozen, for up to two months.
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step 8
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the tart for 35-40 mins, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the filling gently bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Once cool, will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Our choice of cheese: Isle of Mull Cheddar
For these mince pies, a strong artisan cheddar such as Isle of Mull is the perfect partner. This robust clothbound cheese has savoury, nutty notes and a slight boozy tang, which comes from the cows’ diet of leftover mashed whisky grains. Its sharp, complex flavour cuts through the pies’ rich, spiced fruit filling. isleofmullcheese.co.uk
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2025
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A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.2 ratings
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