cherry & fennel mince pies

not your nana's mince pies

i’ve always loved mince pies, and every year i eagerly await the first one of the season — that moment when the christmas smells officially arrive

the supermarket versions are fine but i wanted something a bit more… me. cherries instead of sultanas, fennel seed instead of mixed spice, and buttery press-in pastry that keeps everything together without drama

the filling is heavily inspired by my favourite perfume (cherry punk by room 1015 for anyone playing at home) - sweet, boozy cherry with a smokey, leather overlay

yields half a dozen mince pies

ingredients

cherry & fennel mincemeat filling

100g dried cherries, diced

100g granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced

20g butter

zest and juice of 1/2 orange (swap the orange juice for rum for adults)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp fennel seeds

press-in pastry

115g butter, diced

180g plain flour

50g caster sugar

pinch salt

method

preheat the oven to 180C

add the butter (20g) to a small saucepan over medium heat and let it melt until it smells a bit nutty

stir in the diced granny smith apple (100g) and cook for a few minutes until it softens slightly and looks glossy

add the diced dried cherries (100g), orange zest and juice (from ½ an orange), cinnamon (½ tsp), and fennel seeds (2 tsp)

stir well and let it bubble gently for five minutes or so until thick and sticky and most of the liquid has gone

set aside to cool while you make the pastry

add the plain flour (180g), caster sugar (50g), and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl

rub in the diced butter (115g) with your fingertips until it looks like damp sand

press the mixture together gently — it should just hold when squeezed but still feel a bit crumbly

take about two-thirds of the dough and press it firmly into the bases and sides of a regular muffin tin (no paper cases needed)

try to keep the layer even, about half a centimetre thick, and patch any gaps as you go

spoon in the cooled cherry fennel filling, about a heaped tablespoon in each

pinch off bits of the remaining dough and flatten them roughly between your fingers

lay these over the tops — they don’t have to cover completely, little peeks of fruit look good

press lightly around the edges so the tops stick to the sides

bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges

cool in the tin for ten minutes before twisting gently to lift them out

serve warm with coffee, cold with ice cream, or straight from the tin while pretending to “test one”