Puff Pastry Ravioli Mince Pies

If you have puff pastry in your freezer and a jar of mincemeat in the cupboard, you are ready for an impromptu potluck invitation or unexpected guests!  These little pies, made ravioli-style, are a welcome addition to the dessert table at any Christmas party or buffet table.

Mince pies are traditional Christmas fare in the United Kingdom and everyone seems to have a favorite family recipe. Historically, mincemeat fillings actually contained minced meat or ground meat as we Americans call it. Nowadays most recipes call for apples, raisins, currants, spices, suet, citrus peel and possibly a splash of brandy. I was going for quick and easy and since I don’t have a granny’s recipe, I used a good quality store-bought brand.

Puff Pastry Ravioli Mince Pies

The puff pastry shortcut makes beautiful little flakey mince pies quick and easy.

Ingredients
1 large sheet puff pastry – I buy a British brand here in Dubai and one sheet weighs 11 1/4 oz or 320g and measures approximately 13 3/4 in x 9 in or 35cm x 22.5cm.
6 tablespoons good quality mincemeat
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
Powdered sugar - optional for serving

Tools: 1 ravioli plaque

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment.

Cover your work surface with cling film and lay out the puff pastry sheet.  Gently roll it a bit thinner until you have a big enough piece to cut two pieces the size of your ravioli plaque, possibly with leftovers.

Trim off any rough or dry edges.  A fresh cut always helps puff pastry rise more successfully.

Use your ravioli plaque as a guide, and cut two pieces of puff pastry to fit.  You may have some leftover but don’t worry because we can use that for decoration.

Sprinkle the plaque lightly with flour and lay the first piece of puff pasty on it.

Gently fill the holes with about 1/2 tablespoon each of mincemeat.

Brush the second piece of puff pastry with the milk.

Carefully place the second piece, milk side down on top of the filled pastry.

Press down all around the filling, starting in the middle first and try to push out any air before sealing the sides.  Just like making pasta ravioli.

Turn the whole tray of little raviolis out onto your cling film and cut into squares.

Brush the tops with more milk.

If you have leftover dough, cut shapes or strips out of it to decorate your little ravioli tarts.  I didn’t have any tiny cookie cutters so I made ribbons.  Stars or holly leaves would be more traditional for mince pies.

Carefully transfer the ravioli tarts to your prepared pan.  If you do ribbons as well, poke the middle with a sharp knife (but don't puncture the top of the ravioli!) so they don’t come “untied” while baking.

Bake for about 12 – 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the little pies are golden and puffy.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then remove to a serving dish.  Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar, if desired.  I forgot to take a photo of this step!

Enjoy!

This week my Sunday Supper friends are sharing recipes that are perfect for a holiday buffet. If you are throwing a party or just need to bring a dish to someone else's party, we've got you covered. Check out the great list of recipes below. Many thanks to our event manager Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for all of her hard work.

Abundance of Appetizers

• Buffalo Wing Cauliflower by April Golightly
• Charcuterie Buffet by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pesto Goats Cheese Filo Parcels by Caroline’s Cooking
• Roasted Beet Dip with Fennel and Garlic by Cooking Chat

Sundry of Savory Dishes

• Honey-Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Ham by Palatable Pastime
• Old Fashioned Potato Gratin by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Squash and Mushroom Gratin with Granola Topping by Take A Bite Out of Boca

Desserts by the Dozen

• Cherry Pie Blondies by Pies and Plots
• Gingerbread Cookie Cups w/ Tapioca Pudding by The Freshman Cook
• Puff Pastry Ravioli Mince Pies by Food Lust People Love
• Raspberry Topped Mini Cheesecakes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Chocolate Christmas Crack Recipe by Sunday Supper Movement

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Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins #MuffinMonday

Candied fruit Christmas muffins are made with a sweet, but not too sweet, vanilla crumb, filled with a mix of chewy fruit. They smell wonderful while they bake, filling the house with the sweet scent of Christmas. Perfect for a holiday breakfast or snack time with a hot cup of tea.

I came across a recipe recently for packaging up muffin mixes as gifts over on the BBC Good Food site and I thought, what an excellent idea!  Not that I was going to make the mixes to give away – I don’t have enough friends nearby who like to bake – but the muffins called for mixed fruit with candied peel.

I don’t know if it’s nostalgia for my grandmother’s fruitcake – she made the only version I would ever eat, not too dry with the just the right mix of fruit and nuts – but candied fruit always makes me think of Christmas. What could be better for this month’s Muffin Monday than a candied fruit Christmas muffin in anticipation of the holidays?

I used my favorite make-ahead breakfast muffin recipe but I cut back on the sugar because of all the candied fruit. These are sweet enough, I promise.

Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins

The chewy fruit and spices make these muffins smell and taste like Christmas. Put these in the oven on Christmas morning and your family will pop out of bed to find out what you are baking!

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g all purpose flour
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 150g candied fruit peel and fruit medley, plus a little extra for garnish, if desired
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Generously grease cups and top of 12-cup muffin tin or line your pan with muffin paper cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt, along with the candied fruit. Use your clean hands to mix the fruit in, rubbing the pieces between your fingers to separate those that are stuck together so they can be coated with the flour mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and eggs.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Divide your batter relatively evenly between the 12 muffin cups and top with a few pieces of candied fruit.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other wonderful muffins my Muffin Monday group is sharing today!

• Apple Butter Muffin Tops from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Apple Streusel Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Beet Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Candied Fruit Christmas Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Crab Corn Muffin from Kelli's Kitchen
• Fruitcake Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Jim ‘n Nick’s Cheesy Muffins - Copycat from Making Miracles
• Shoofly Muffins from Sew You Think You Can Cook

 #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Mulled Cranberry Vodka Cocktail

Pretty to look at, even more delicious to sip, this mulled cranberry vodka cocktail boasts the best flavors of the season in a refreshing drink that goes down way too easy. Mix up a batch for your holiday party!

My younger daughter is a fan of mulled wine. I can take it or leave it. But I think I have finally found a mulled drink I do love. Mulled cranberry juice is lighter than wine and lends itself to a cold cocktail as easily as a warming cup.

I also chose not to simmer the juice with the spices for hours on end. A quick boil and time to infuse while the drink cools gives just the right amount of seasonal spiciness that is not cloying or overwhelming. The tart cranberry still shines through brightly. And look at the beautiful color!

Have I convinced you yet? Do give this a try. And make sure you scroll down to see the rest of the winter cocktail recipes my Sunday Supper group are sharing today.

Mulled Cranberry Vodka Cocktail

Ingredients
For the mulled cranberry juice:
4 1/4 cups or 1 liter cranberry juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
zest 1/2 clementine

For the garnish:
1/4 cup or 35g fresh cranberries
1/8 cup or 25g sugar

For the cocktail:
1 1/2 oz or ml vodka
8 oz or 240ml mulled cranberry juice
Ice

Method
Use a sharp knife to remove the zest from half of your clementine, leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible.

Add the cinnamon stick, cloves and clementine zest to the cranberry juice in a medium sized pot. Bring the juice to a boil. Boil briefly, about 3-4 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave to cool.

Once cool, strained the mulled cranberry juice to remove the spices and clementine zest, then chill it in the refrigerator.

Wash the cranberries thoroughly and dry them in a colander until just damp. Roll them in the sugar until completely coated. Use a sharp cocktail stick to poke through three or four per stick to create the garnish. Set aside on a clean plate sprinkled with a little more sugar.

When you are ready to serve the mulled cranberry vodka cocktail, fill your glasses with 5-6 ice cubes.

Add in the vodka and top up with mulled cranberry juice. Garnish with the sugar-coated cranberry skewers, if desired.

Enjoy!

Check out all of the winter cocktail recipes we are sharing today. Many thanks to our event manager, Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.

Cocktail Shakers

• Bourbon Flipby Sunday Supper Movement
• Buttery Nipple Cocktail by Positively Stacey
• Candy Cane Cocktail by My Blissful Mess
• Cranberry Moscow Mule by Restless Chipotle
• Ginger Caramel Apple Mule by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Mincemeat Manhattan by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Mulled Cranberry Vodka Cocktail by Food Lust People Love
• Snow Honey Cocktail by Our Good Life
• Sugar Plum Martini by Pies and Plots

Winter Wines and Punch

• Apple Cider Sangria by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Christmas Party Punch by Palatable Pastime
• Cranberry Champagne Cocktail by The Freshman Cook
• Gluhwein (German Mulled Wine) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Rosemary and Blood Orange Sangria for a Party by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

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