Mulled Wine and Mince Pie Christmas Recipes

The ultimate staple of winter is mulled wine and mince pies. Not only are they a perfect treat whilst relaxing on a cold December night, they make a traditional Christmas complete. Of course, you could go and buy some from the local shops, but you can’t beat fresh, homemade ones! Check out our mulled wine and mince pie Christmas recipes to make your own from scratch whilst impressing your loved ones with your culinary skills.

Traditional Mince Pies

Our first mince pie recipe is a traditional one so you can quickly whip up some hassle-free snacks. These are perfect paired with our mulled wine recipe and will leave you wanting more. Just try not to eat them all at once, your family or friends will be expecting some too!

Ingredients:

• 225g plain flour
• 125g caster sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 125g margarine
• 1 egg
• Water
• 450g mincemeat (the fruit kind!)

Method:

Begin by preparing to make your mince pies. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 and lightly grease your bun tin. To make the pastry, put the flour, sugar and ground almonds into a mixing bowl and mix. Next, rub the margarine through the dry ingredients, and then add the egg (add a splash of water too, if needed). Mix this into soft dough and turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead the dough and roll out. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut the pastry and place into your bun tins. Add a teaspoon of mincemeat in each and use the remaining pastry to add a lid on top. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and enjoy! If you'd prefer to make your own mincemeat, check out our gluten-free mince pie recipe further on!

Traditional Mulled Wine

A glass of traditional mulled wine is great to take the edge of a stressful day during the festive period. Making your very own with our mulled wine Christmas recipe will make that glass taste even better and leave you with a feeling of satisfaction.

Ingredients:

• 1 large orange
• 3 lemons
• 12 cloves
• 2 satsumas
• 5L red wine
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 150g caster sugar
• Splash of brandy

Method:

Thinly peel the zest from the orange and lemons and squeeze out the juice. Take the cloves, stick them into the satsumas and put to one side. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, pour in the wine, 2 pints of cold water, citrus peel and juices along with the clove-studded satsumas and cinnamon sticks. Bring it just to the boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture is simmering and cover the pan with the lid. Continue to simmer for around 1 hour. Gradually stir in the sugar during cooking and strain once you feel it is sweet enough. Serve hot.

Gluten Free Mince Pies

If you or someone you know has gluten free dietary requirements, this recipe is the one. This way, nobody is left out and everyone can join in by enjoying some delicious homemade mince pies. This recipe makes 12 gluten free mince pies.

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, chopped into small pieces
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 100g raisins
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g sultanas
• 1tsp ground ginger
• Juice of 2 oranges
• 7tbsp coconut oil
• 400g ground almonds
• 400g medjool dates
• Gluten free flour, for dusting surface

Method:

First of all, place the apple, vanilla pod seeds, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, orange juice and coconut oil into a saucepan and stir. Leave the mixture to simmer for around 30 minutes, until the apples are soft. Whilst the mincemeat is simmering, preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Take a food processor and blend together the remainder of the ingredients with 4tbsp of water until the dates are totally broken down. Roll out the pastry mix on the floured board until it’s 5mm thick. Cut out 12 circles with a cutter.

Using the coconut oil, grease a bun tin and mould the pastry rounds into the holes. Place the tray into the oven until they become golden brown (this should take around 8 minutes). With the remaining pastry, cut out 12 star shapes. Once the pie crusts are done, add 2 heaped tsp of mincemeat in each and top with a star. Return to the oven for another 8 minutes and your mince pies are complete! Just remember to let them cool for 20 minutes.

Spiced Mulled Wine

Fancy something a little different? Enjoy your mulled wine with a twist. Our spiced mulled wine recipe has an extremely appetising aroma and is a brilliant pick me up during the run up to Christmas. Not only is is really easy to make, it tastes amazing too.

Ingredients:

• ½ bottle red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 sliced orange
• 1 sliced lemon
• 50g brown sugar

Method:

Simply put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes. Ensure that you do not boil. You could also place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 1-2 hours until warm for stronger flavours. Pour straight into heatproof glasses and serve.

Orange and Almond Mince Pies

For those of you wanting a more adventurous mince pie, our orange and almond mince pies will definitely be what you’re looking for! Serving 12, these zesty Christmas treats will look amazing on your Christmas or Boxing Day spread.

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp amaretto
• 225g mincemeat
• Orange zest
• Edible glitter or icing sugar for decoration
• Clotted cream or rum butter (optional)
• 25g ground almonds
• 250g plain flour
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 150g butter
• 1 egg yolk

Method:

Start by preheating the oven to Gas Mark 5. Use a food processor and mix together the almonds, flour, butter and egg yolk to make the pastry. Whizz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Then add 3tbsp of orange juice and mix again until the dough comes together. Then remove, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for one hour. After chilling, take two thirds of the pastry and roll out to a 3mm thickness on a floured board. Then cut out 12 circles and gently press into a bun tin.

For the filling, mix the mincemeat, amaretto and orange zest together and spoon some into each case. Create lids with the remaining pastry, cover the pies and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Finish with some clotted cream or rum butter and a sprinkle of edible glitter or icing sugar.