Fig and Walnut Mince Pies with Smooth Vanilla Swedish Glace
Makes 12 with enough filling for a further 2 batches
Vegan
Ingredients
500g ready-made vegetarian shortcrust pastry
A little vegan margarine to grease baking tray
250g dried figs, chopped
100g raisins
100g sultanas
50g dried dates, chopped
50g vegetarian glacé cherries, chopped
50g walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
5 tbsp brandy or whisky
½ tsp mixed spice,
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2.5cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
to serve:
caster sugar
1 tub Smooth Vanilla Swedish Glace (available in the ice-cream section
of all major supermarkets and health food stores)
Method
1. To make the mincemeat, put the dried fruit, glacé cherries
and walnuts into a bowl. Pour over the alcohol, the ginger and the spices.
Stir well and leave to stand for 1-2 hours, stirring from time to time.
Add the banana and mix well.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Grease a 12-hole jam tart
tin.
3. Roll the pastry out thinly. Using an 8cm circular pastry cutter and
a 4cm star-shaped pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles and 12 star shapes.
4. Press the circles gently into each section of the tin, then put a
heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each and top with the star shaped pastry.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Serve
while still warm, sprinkled with a little caster sugar and a healthy
scoop of Smooth Vanilla Swedish Glace.
This recipe is taken from The Vegetarian Society’s gorgeous free
Christmas recipe booklet “New Traditions, recipes for a meat-free
Christmas”. Call the Society on 0161 925 2000 for your copy.
Notes for editors
• For a high-res jpeg to accompany this recipe and other festive recipes,
please contact Kerry on 0161 925 2012 or kerry@vegsoc.org
• Visit www.vegsoc.org to try your hand at our festive
sudoku.
• The ‘New Traditions’ recipe booklet is
sponsored by Swedish Soft, the non-dairy alternative to soft cheese.
• Date
for your diary: National Vegetarian Week, 22nd - 28th May 2006
