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    Home » CHRISTMAS

    Pear Mince Pies With Sourdough Pastry

    Published: December 15, 2022 · Updated: November 17, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    What is the greatest food-related British Christmas tradition of all time? For us, it’s a mince pie! Sweet and boozy mincemeat encased in a flaky buttery shortcrust warms your heart and soul, and you can almost hear the Christmas bells ringing somewhere in the distance! This year, why not try to mix things up by making these delicious Pear Mince Pies with Sourdough Pastry?

    Take Me To:
    • Why You Will Love These Sourdough Mince Pies
    • Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry
    • Method
      • Step 1: Make Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry
      • Step 2: Make The Pear Mincemeat Filling
      • Step 3: Assemble and Bake
    • Storage
    • Other Sweet Christmas Treats To Try
    • Recipe Card

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    Why You Will Love These Sourdough Mince Pies

    • Sourdough shortcrust pastry is so much easier to work, a lot sturdier, but just as crisp and buttery as your regular mince pie pastry.
    • The pastry encasing the mincemeat filling will have a signature sourdough tang that will help to balance the sweetness of the mincemeat.
    • The filling itself has a good amount of juicy pear to make it lighter and even more fruity. It also makes the filling a little less sweet.
    • This recipe is a great way to make a dent in your never-ending sourdough discard!
    A half-eaten pear mince pie on a small white plate on a white wooden table.

    Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry

    Whilst these Pear Mince Pies can be made with any pastry: shop-bought shortcrust, puff pastry and even filo, we highly recommend making your mince pies from scratch using sourdough discard. You will never go back to your regular shortcrust after experiencing how easy and delicious the sourdough version can be.

    We provide a full recipe for the sourdough shortcrust pastry in this post, but for extra tips and tricks, visit our dedicated post for Buttery Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry.

    Method

    There are three main stages of making Sourdough Mince Pies with Pear Mincemeat filling: making the shortcrust, making the filling and assembly & baking.

    Step 1: Make Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry

    Combine flour, icing sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl (or food processor if using).

    Add the cubed cold butter, and using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture until the mixture resembled bread crumbs. Work quickly, ideally in a cold environment and with cold hands to ensure the butter doesn’t soften too much. If you have a food processor, we highly recommend using it. Simply pulse the mixture until the butter is mixed into the flour to look like breadcrumbs.

    Add the sourdough starter discard and mix it in quickly, ideally using a cold metal spoon or a fork. If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoon of water.

    Tip the pastry onto a floured work surface and knead just enough to during it together into a ball. Flatten it out, then wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

    Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry on a kitchen worktop.

    Step 2: Make The Pear Mincemeat Filling

    In the meantime, make the filling by chopping the peeled and cored pears into tiny chunks (about 3mm in diameter). You may choose to coarsely grate the pears instead, but we prefer small cubes.

    Mix the pear with mincemeat and set aside.

    pear cubes and mincemeat being mixed together in a small white bowl.

    Step 3: Assemble and Bake

    Lightly grease your 12-hole muffin tins with butter. After chilling, on a floured surface roll the pastry out to 3-4mm thickness. Cut out 7.5cm circles (or whatever size you need to fill the base and sides of the tin you’re using). Reserve any offcuts for later.

    Press each circle gently into each muffin tin hole to make a tartlet case.

    Thinly rolled sourdough shortcrust pastry with a cookie cutter on top.
    12-hole muffin tin lined with circles of shortcrust pastry.

    Fill each pastry case with a pear and mincemeat mixture.

    Reroll any scraps into a sheet of about 3 mm thickness. Stamp out smaller circles (that would leave edges of the filling exposed), star shapes, or thin strings to create a lattice effect and place the pastry on top of the mince pies. If you choose to cover the filling with pastry completely and seal the edges, make sure to make a slit or a small hole in the top for the steam to escape out of).

    Shortcrust pastry filled with mincemeat and pear mixture.
    the filling covered with circles of pastry.

    Place the assembled mince pies in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan in the meantime.

    Bake the pear mince pies for 20 minutes. Leave them in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully move them onto a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

    Baked Pear Mince Pies cooking on a wire rack.

    Storage

    Make sure to cool down the mince pies to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container. You may stack them with a sheet of baking parchment in between. Store in a cool dark cupboard for up to 2 weeks.

    Other Sweet Christmas Treats To Try

    • Galette Des Rois With a British Twist
    • Sourdough Gingerbread
    • Christmas Gingerbread French Toast

    Recipe Card

    Pear Mince Pies made with sourdough shortcrust pastry on a black slate on a white table.

    Pear Mince Pies With Sourdough Pastry

    What is the greatest food-related British Christmas tradition of all time? For us, it's a mince pie! Sweet and boozy mincemeat encased in a flaky buttery shortcrust warms your heart and soul, and you can almost hear the Christmas bells ringing somewhere in the distance! This year, why not try to mix things up by making these delicious Pear Mince Pies with Sourdough Pastry?
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Chilling Time 4 hrs 30 mins
    Total Time 5 hrs 30 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine British, Christmas
    Servings 12 mince pies
    Calories 147 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Food Processor optional
    • 2 12-hole muffin tins

    Ingredients
     
     

    For Sourdough Shortcrust Pastry:

    • 120 g plain flour
    • 10 g icing sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 80 g butter unsalted, fridge-cold, cubed
    • 70 g sourodugh discard 100% hydration, fridge-cold
    • 1 tablespoon cold water may not be needed

    For The Mince Pie Filling:

    • 150 g mincemeat
    • 2 conference pears 150g of prepared weight

    Instructions
     

    • Combine flour, icing sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl (or food processor if using).
    • Add the cubed cold butter, and using your fingertips, rub it into the flour mixture until the mixture resembled bread crumbs. Work quickly, ideally in a cold environment and with cold hands to ensure the butter doesn't soften too much. If you have a food processor, we highly recommend using it. Simply pulse the mixture until the butter is mixed into the flour to look like breadcrumbs.
    • Add the sourdough starter dicard and mix it in quickly, ideally using a cold metal spoon or a fork. If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoon of water.
    • Tip the pastry onto a floured work surface and knead just enough to during it together into a ball. Fletten it out, then wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
    • In the meantime, make the filling by chopping the peeled and cored pears into tiny chunks (about 3mm in diameter). You may choose to coarsely grate the pears instead, but we prefer small cubes.
    • Mix the pear with mincemeat and set aside.
    • Lightly grease your muffin tins with butter. After chilling, on a floured surface roll the pastry out to 3-4mm thickness. Cut out 7.5cm circles (or whatever size you need to fill the base and sides of the tin you're using). Reserve any offcuts for later.
    • Press each circle gently into each muffin tin hole to make a tartlet case.
    • Fill each pastry case with a pear and mincemeat mixture.
    • Reroll any scraps into a sheet of about 3-4 mm thickness. Stamp out smaller circles (that would leave edges of the filling exposed), or star shapes, or thin strings to create lattice effect and place the pastry on top of the mince pies. If you choose to cover the filling with pastry completely and seal the edges, make sure to make a slit or a small hole in the top for the steam to escape out of).
    • Place the assembled mince pies in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan in the meantime.
    • Bake the pear mince pies for 20 minutes. Leave them in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully move them onto a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 210mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 174IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Mince Pies With Pears, Mince Pies With Sourdough Pastry, Pear Mince Pies, Pear Mincemeat Pies, Sourdough Mince Pies, Sourdough Mincemeat Pie
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