Mince Pie Baklava

Written by CUBBin the Kitchen Published on December 6, 2019 in , Recipes

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What is Christmas without a mince pie? The sweet, sticky, spicy filling surrounded with crisp pastry. Whether you make you own or buy them they are a must have for many of this season. I celebrate the first mince pie of the festive period and it signals that the preparations have started and celebrations are on their way. This year as well as the traditional pies I have made a twist with reverence to its history. I bring you Mince Pie Baklava, as well as tidings of comfort and joy.

The Mince Pie has its roots back in history. The ingredients can be traced back to the return of the Crusaders. They brought back, from the holy land, mixing meat with fruit. During the reign of the Tudors ‘Shrid Pies’ were filled with a combination of meat, dried fruit & suet. The spices of cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg were said to be representative of the gifts from the 3 wise men. Indeed traditionally in England the fashion was to make a larger pie in an oval shape to represent the manger, topped with a likeness of Jesus made from pastry.

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Nowadays you can get all sorts of mince pies with any number of additions. Hence, of course, I decided to make a different version of my own. As a nod to the roots of middle-eastern cooking I have brought together mince pie with baklava. To make this recipe its is very easy, you may concoct your own mincemeat or buy your favourite jar. I tend to buy a large jar and doctor it up as needed.

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For this recipe you need, butter, filo, mincemeat, pistachios (or any other nut would work), ground almonds, dried cranberries, sugar, water & orange peel. Once you arsenal is assembled it’s a case of melting a few things, stirring a few things and layering a few things. Really it is fairly simple but great to have tucked away, so you can whip them out as a speedy dessert or sweet bite with coffee.

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Christmas is indeed a time when we go to the familiar, taking comfort in our traditions. However like to put a few spins on the traditional to bring something new to Christmas each year. This year it was the mince pie that got the treatment. I also gave the scone a festive spruce up with my I have to say I really enjoy these and they are guaranteed to disappear in no time.

Mince Pie Baklava • CUBBin the Kitchen • Recipe • (6)

So a couple of tips to ensure Mince Pie Baklava success:
Don’t skip the orange peel
I added orange peel to the syrup and believe me that really helped offset the sweetness of this crispy treat. Without it you would end up with an overly sweet baklava.
If you think you’ve added enough butter add more.
This recipe loves butter. The pastry needs the butter to soften, without it you will end up with dry pastry that won’t hold together. Plus we know butter = flavour.
Let it sit
Once the syrup is absorbed and you have removed it from the oven let it sit in the tin, uncovered, for 4 hours. This will produce crispy top with yielding below.
You can reheat
If you want it warm reheat in the oven – never the microwave. Pastry and microwaves are not friends.

In the middle ages there was a custom that said if you ate a mince pie every day from Christmas until Twelfth Night you would have happiness for the next 12 months. This sounds like a custom that I’d like to see revived. If you try this Mince Pie Baklava let me know what you thought in the comments below. You can share your pictures with me on social media. Tag me on Instagram @cubbinthekitchen or use the hashtag #CUBBintheKitchen to be featured in my stories.

A twist on the traditional mince pie with a nod to its history

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Baking, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine British, Middle Eastern

Servings 18

Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients

411 grams Mincemeat 1 Jar
2 packs Filo Pastry
60 grams Shelled Pistachios
80 grams Ground Almonds
30 grams Dried Cranberries
130 grams Butter
150 grams Sugar
75 ml Water
Peel of 1 Orange

Instructions

Make the Syrup

Place the sugar and water in a pan and cook over a low heat until it has all dissolved. Add in the orange peel simmer until the syrup is has thickened. Don’t stir it. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Make the Baklava

Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan
Chop the Pistachios into small pieces. Add these to the mincemeat along with the Ground Almonds and dried Cranberries. Give it all a good stir to combine.
Melt the butter in a small pan.
Trim the filo pastry to the same size as the tin you are cooking it in. Cover with a damp tea towel to stop it frying out. Leave this over the filo pile as you work.
Brush the bottom and sides of the tin with melted butter. I used a 20cm x 20 cm square tin.
Place a sheet of filo in the bottom it should fit perfectly. Press it down and brush all over with butter.
Repeat this step with 10 sheets.
Once you have ten sheets that have each been brushed with butter and layered. Spread over the mincemeat mixture into and even layer.
Crown this with the remaining pastry sheets brushing each sheet with butter. With the final layer be generous with the butter.
Cut diagonal lines across the baklava to create a diamond pattern.
Bake for 70 mins until it has turned golden.
Take the peel out of the syrup and discard.
Remove the golden Baklava from the oven and pour over the syrup.
See Also
Traditional Scottish Stovies Recipe (Plus Variations!) - Scottish Scran Child’s play: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for cooking with kids Irn Bru Ham and a Burns Night Recipe Roundup Badam Pista Burfi Recipe | Almond & Pistachio Fudge
Return to the oven for about 5 minutes until the syrup has been completely absorbed.
Leave to cool and stand for 4 hours. Then cut along the diamond pattern and enjoy.
Merry Christmas

Notes

LEFTOVERS TIP

You can freeze these and then thaw them. I would suggest a blast in the oven to heat through to ensure crisp pastry. However if you wish to change this into a different dessert you could stuff the leftover Baklava into apples that you have cut tout the core and bake to create a baked apple dessert. Served with ice cream this is delicious.

Keyword Afternoon Tea, Baked, Baking, Baklava, Christmas, Dessert, Family, Festove, Mince Pie, Mincemeat, Party, Party Food, Puff Pastry, Sweet, Treat

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Mince Pie Baklava • CUBBin the Kitchen • Recipe • (2024)

FAQs

Why is my mince pie pastry hard? ›

There are still a few rules to follow – keep everything as cool as possible and don't be too heavy handed with the pastry when it is mixed. Pastry becomes tough when it is handled too much as the gluten in the flour starts to form.

Discover More Details ›

What is a middle eastern dessert made of layers of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and honey syrup? ›

Baklava is a dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is also known as a Turkish delight, and it has been around for centuries.

Get More Info Here ›

How to serve mince meat pie? ›

How to Serve Mince Pies. Mince pies are delicious served hot or cold, on their own or with brandy butter, or with cream or even a good vanilla ice cream. They're wonderful with a hot cup of tea, as well as with sherry, Madeira, and port.

Keep Reading ›

How to serve baklava? ›

Placing Baklava on a decorative platter or cake stand is a simple, yet attractive way of serving this dessert. It is not only visually appealing, but it also elevates the Baklava, making it feel more special. You can also sprinkle confectionary sugar or our included chopped Pistachio crumbs to add a little extra flair.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you make pastry less tough? ›

Richard's solution: The trouble with pastry is that you need to be accurate; too much water and you're left with shrunken, tough pastry, too little and it stays dry and crumbly. When adding the water to the butter and flour, use very cold water and add it a tablespoonful at a time.

Read On ›

What makes pastry heavy and tough? ›

If your pastry is hard and tough, this may because too much liquid was added or the pastry was over-handled, resulting in the development of gluten. If your pastry is too crumbly and hard to handle, this may be because too much fat was added, it was over-mixed or not enough liquid was added to bind the fat and flour.

What is Middle Eastern baklava made of? ›

Baklava is a delicious dessert that's popular in Greece, Turkey and other parts of the Middle East. It's basically made of flaky phyllo, a nut mix (pistachio or walnuts), warm spices and soaked in simple syrup. Each country has its own specialty in terms of nuts or the syrup, and they're all absolutely delightful.

Show Me More ›

What is the difference between filo and phyllo? ›

Phyllo consists of tissue-thin sheets of dough. Phyllo, also spelled filo or fillo, means "leaf" in Greek, and the pastry dough is widely used in the Balkans and Middle East.

Learn More ›

What is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava? ›

Filo is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and börek in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.

Discover More ›

What is the difference between mince pie and mince meat pie? ›

A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in North America, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin filled with mincemeat, being a mixture of fruit, spices and suet. The pies are traditionally served during the Christmas season in much of the English-speaking world.

Why is a mince pie called a mince pie? ›

The reason mincemeat is called meat is because that's exactly what it used to be: most often mutton, but also beef, rabbit, pork or game. Mince pies were first served in the early middle ages, and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chopped up fruit and a preserving liquid.

Learn More Now ›

What cream to serve with mince pie? ›

Creme fraiche Supremely light and kissed with a lactic tang, creme fraiche is the hot mince pie's most elegant cooling counterpoint. Single or double cream Either will grease the wheels, so to speak. Custard There is something magical about the contrast between hot mince pie and cold cream on the same plate.

Tell Me More ›

What makes baklava soggy? ›

The Perfect Baklava

The key to obtaining this consistency is to wait until the syrup has cooled to pour it over the hot baklava. If the syrup is too warm, it makes the baklava soft and soggy. I recommend you prepare the syrup first, before melting the butter and assembling the pastry.

Tell Me More ›

Do you refrigerate baklava or no? ›

Baklava has a really lengthy shelf life, lasting about 2+ weeks. It should be stored in an airtight container, either in room temperature or in the fridge. Storing in room temperature will preserve the crispness. If you like your baklava chewy and a bit harder, store it in the refrigerator.

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What pairs well with baklava? ›

Mint Tea: For a refreshing and cooling pairing, mint tea is a good choice. The minty and herbal flavors can cleanse the palate and refresh the taste buds after each bite of the sweet and nutty baklava.

Read On ›

What do I do if my pie crust is too hard? ›

The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill

The pie crust could have a firm or tough texture if you bake your pie before resting your dough. Giving your dough time to rest will allow all the ingredients to chill, help the moisture distribute more evenly throughout the dough, and make it easier to roll out.

Know More ›

Why does my pastry come out hard? ›

Hard pastry

If your shortcrust pastry is too hard, it could be caused by a number of things. Either you have added too much water or not enough fat, or the fat was not rubbed in sufficiently or was over-handled. Or the pastry was over-baked.

What causes pie crust to get hard? ›

Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten). You don't need to make sure it's a perfectly uniform ball. “As long as the dough is mostly holding together, you don't need to spend a lot of time kneading it,” Susan Reid wrote for King Arthur Baking.

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Mince Pie Baklava • CUBBin the Kitchen • Recipe • (2024)