
This recipe lightens the traditional heavy Christmas mince pie by adding fresh apple chunks to the filling and swapping the standard pastry lid for a crunchy, buttery crumble topping. The result is a delightful textural contrast that is perfect for those who find classic mince pies a bit too rich.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 12-hole muffin or tart tin.
Unroll the shortcrust pastry on a clean surface and use a round cutter (approx. 3-4 inches) to stamp out 12 circles.
Gently press the pastry circles into the holes of the tin to form the tart cases, then prick the bases lightly with a fork.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the jarred mincemeat with the finely diced fresh apple and orange zest.
Spoon a generous tablespoon of the fruit mixture into each pastry case, filling them about three-quarters full.
To make the crumble topping, place the flour and cinnamon in a bowl and rub in the cold cubed butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir the light brown sugar into the crumble mixture.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture generously over the top of each filled pie, covering the fruit completely.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the crumble is crisp.
Allow the pies to cool in the tin for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.





