Sweet Potato Mince Pie Pastry

I really must apologise for not posting any new recipes for ages. I have been manically busy at work and then I got distracted by a rather lovely wedding back over on the other side of the Irish Sea from me! Whilst back in Liverpool I also had the chance to catch up with lots of old friends including Jo, for whom the original chocolate chickpea cake recipe that kick started this blog was made. Jo has successfully made a few of the recipes from the blog but requested a mince pie recipe that would fit in with her wheat and egg free diet. Never one to refuse a challenge (especially when it involves yummy Christmas treats) I got back into the kitchen on my return and came up with a gluten free vegan pastry that suits the purpose as mince pie pastry perfectly. Combined with my vegan zesty mincemeat recipe Jo can now enjoy mountains of mince pies this festive season along with the rest of us!

INGREDIENTS

125g gluten free, wheat free flour (I always use Dove’s readymade blend)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

100g soya spread

200g sweet potato mash (I microwave my sweet potatoes with the skins on for approx. 5 to 6 minutes until soft, allow them to cool before peeling and mashing).

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.

Add the soya spread (alternatively use margarine or butter if you are not following a vegan diet) and rub into the flour mixture using your thumbs and forefingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Finally add the mashed sweet potato and use your hands to bring the mixture together into a firm ball (it may seem a bit sticky at this point but don’t worry too much about that!) Wrap the ball in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour until it is well chilled.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 deg C.

Grease a mini muffin tin with vegan spread (you can use a larger cake tin but I quite like bite sized mince pies so always go for the mini versions).

Remove your pastry from the fridge and gently roll out on a work surface generously dusted with gluten free flour. The pastry is quite delicate so be careful at this stage, I found it easiest to roll out small portions of the pastry at a time.

Use circular cutters to make rounds and gently transfer these to the mini muffin tin and use to line each indentation. Then place a generous teaspoon of mincemeat into each pie case. Next cut out smaller circles and add each pastry round as a lid to each pie. Brush the pies with water or soy milk and sprinkle with a little caster sugar.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven sprinkling each pie with a little extra sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool.          

Any extra pastry can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days until you find another use for it, or popped into the freezer for use at a later date.