The Hobbit; An Unexpected Party; Mince Pies
It's not just Christmas that you can serve up mince pies! Whip up a batch of Bilbo Baggin's mince pies for your next Hobbit Day party. Note that this mince mixture recipe makes 3-4 batches of 12 mince pies, so is a good base recipe to mix up and keep in the fridge for the Christmas holidays.
Ingredients
Mincemeat Filling
- 200 grams mixed peel (orange and lemon)
- 2 cooking apples peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 ⅔ cups raisins
- ½ cup currants
- ½ cup sultanas
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 125 grams suet finely chopped
- ¼ cup brandy
- ¼ cup rum
- 1 tablespoon almond flavouring
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice a blend of allspice, ginger, and nutmeg
Pastry
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour (8 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 115 grams cold butter, cubed (4 ounces)
- Cold water as needed
- 1 egg white for brushing
- White sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Mince Mixture
- Combine all the ingredients for the mincemeat filling in a glass bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.
- The next morning, stir well, cover again, and store in the fridge for several weeks, stirring once a week to allow the flavours to infuse.
Pastry
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
- Add the cubed cold butter and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add cold water, a few drops at a time, mixing gently until a firm, not sticky, dough forms. If the dough becomes too wet, add a little more flour.
- Roll out the dough thinly. Use about three-quarters of it to line tart or muffin tins.
- Roll out the remaining quarter and cut into rounds to top the pies.
- Spoon the mince filling into each base—don’t overfill.
- Place the pastry tops over the filling and pinch the edges to seal.
- Prick the tops with a skewer to let steam escape.
- Whisk the egg white with a small splash of water, brush over the tops, and sprinkle with white sugar.
- Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
Notes
- Use Bramley apples in the UK or Granny Smith apples in Australia, Canada, or the US.
- Cognac can be used instead of brandy and rum if desired.
- If you're short on time, store-bought mince filling can be used (usually available seasonally).
- This mincemeat filling makes enough for 3 to 4 batches of 12 mince pies—perfect for making ahead for Christmas after your Hobbit Day feast.
Tried this recipe?Many recipes are adapted from historical cookbooks so share your own tips & tweaks below to help others! 📝 Include ingredients or steps you modified and let everyone know how it turned out. Just remember, keep the conversation as warm and welcoming as Mrs. Weasley's kitchen, please. ❤️