Discover how you can make delicious gluten-free mince pies with a pistachio filling

What you need...

• Pistachio mincemeat
  
  500g dried mixed fruit
  50g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
  Grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons
  2 apples, grated
  150g caster sugar
  300ml brandy
  125g gluten-free suet
  100g unsalted pistachios, chopped
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
  
  For the pastry
  50g butter
  190g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  60g plus 1 tablespoon caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  1 egg yolk
  50g cream cheese
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
  To assemble
  3 tablespoons cream cheese
  Grated zest of 1 orange
  Milk, for glazing
  Icing sugar, for dusting
  
  3 sterilized glass jars with lids
  8cm round cookie cutter
  12-hole muffin tin, greased
  
  Makes 12

instructions

1. First make the mincemeat. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well with a spoon to make sure everything is mixed. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, then leave to stand for 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop. Transfer the mincemeat to a saucepan, and warm over low heat, until the suet has melted and the apple is cooked. Decant into sterilized jars, and seal with airtight lids. The mincemeat will keep for up to 1 year. You will need 1 jar for this recipe.
   
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

2. To make the pastry, cut the butter into small cubes, and rub it into the flour with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk, cream cheese and cinnamon, and mix together to a soft dough, adding a little cold water if the mixture is too dry.

3. On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry to a 3mm thickness. Stamp out 24 pastry rounds using the cookie cutter, and press half of the rounds into the holes of the muffin tin. Do not worry if the pastry cracks; simply patch with pastry trimmings. If you like, press the remaining rounds on to a star-shaped mould, to create a decorative imprint. These will be the tops. Fill each pastry case with a spoonful of mincemeat, top with a teaspoon of cream cheese and a little orange zest, then add the tops, pressing the pastry down gently. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each pie with milk, and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

4. Bake for 10–15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the pies from the tin while still warm. It is easiest to do this by pushing a teaspoon down the side of each pie. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve. These pies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

This project is from Gluten-Free Christmas by Hannah Miles (Ryland Peters & Small, £9.99) with photography by William Reavell. For more information, visit http://www.rylandpeters.com/.