The Incredible MMPs & Ginger Snaps
I am finally finding some time to sit down and write these two recipes. It’s been very hectic at work and I barely had any free time for myself. It’s incredible how right before Christmas I always reach a crazy peak at work before I can sit back and enjoy the festive season.
This year things will be different and a lot of people (myself included) will not get to go back home and see their families. For this reason my friend Hannah and I decided to spend almost every Saturday afternoon leading up to Christmas baking festive treats and spoiling ourselves. This weekly ritual has been incredibly helpful for our mental wellbeing. Festive Baking is the ultimate medicine for me!
Our MMPs (Mary’s Mince Pies) are the result of a very accurate research and screening of loads of recipes out there. The mince itself is a recipe from Hannah’s Grandma’s cookbook. It’s a great recipe and a very ‘progressive’ mince that includes exotic Brazil Nuts and Calvados. Incredible flavour that will make you eat it with a spoon (true story!).
The Swedish Gingersnap recipe has been my go to recipe for a few years now. We’ve already baked and decorated 3 batches and we are not intending to stop anytime soon.
I really hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.
Incredible MMPs_Mary’s Mince Pies
The Crust & Filling Ratio
Mince
makes 1kg of mince that can be stored for 3 months
Zest & juice of 2 oranges
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
250g bramley apples peeled and grated
75g butter
6 tbsps Calvados
500 mixed dried fruit (we used Sultanas, Cranberries & Cherries)
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinammon
Fresh nutmeg
150g soft brown sugar
50g Brazil nuts
Try and make the mince in advance and let it rest a few days before you use it
For the pastry
makes 10 mince pies. I like to bake only a few as I prefer them very fresh. If you want a bigger batch just double or triple the ingredients. You will have enough mince for all the pies!
170g plain flour
1 pinch salt
115g cold butter
45g ground almonds
50g caster sugar
1 egg yolks 1
Orange Zest
2 tbsps water
1 egg for the egg wash
Step by Step
For the Mince
Peel and grate the apple and add it in a deep pan
Grate the zest of the lemon and oranges and add it in the same pan. Add in also the juice
Add the calvados, spices, dried fruit & butter in the same pan
Bring to boil, lower the heat and put the lid on
Cook until the water is gone and don’t forget to mix frequently
It’s ready when the water has evaporated and the dried fruit is nice and plump
If after 45mins there is still too much water, take the lid off and let it simmer slowly
Once ready, let it cool down and store in a jar
For the pastry
Mix the flour with the orange zest and pinch of salt
Rub in the flour by hand or with your standing mixer. Don’t overwork it, you should be able to see some small pea size pieces of butter
Add in the almond flour, sugar, egg yolk, water and mix until the dough come together. Don’t overwork it
Chill for one hour
Assembling & baking
Butter a muffin tin and put it aside
Roll out the pastry and with a biscuit cutter cut round discs roughly 3mm thick. The discs should be bigger than the diameter of the muffin tin
Put your discs in the muffin tin and fill 3 quarters with mince
Roll out the remaining pastry and cut slightly smaller discs. These will be your lids.
Brush the sides of your pastry before putting the lid on. This will seal them
Repeat until your pastry is finished and rest your muffin tin in the fridge for 1h before baking
Egg wash them and bake in a pre-heated oven for 20min and 200 C (180 Fan)
Once completely cooled down you can sprinkle them with some icing sugar
Ginger Snaps
Spiced to Perfection
For the dough
400g flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
170g unsalted butter
3 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 pinch cayenne
160g dark brown soft sugar
85g molasses or black treacle or dark golden syrup (I used molasses)
1 egg
1 yolk
For the royal icing
30g egg whites
150g icing sugar
Step by step
Mix the flour with the salt and bicarb
In a pan melt the butter with the ginger, cinnamon, cloves & cayenne
Add the molasses in the pan and keep mixing
Add the sugar in the pan and mix until dissolved
Separately beat the egg and yolk
Take the pan off the hob and add in the beaten egg. Mix quickly until incorporated
Add the liquid mix in your bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon
The mixture will appear very vet and will easily come together. Don’t be tempted to add more flour. It’s very soft because of the melted butter
Cover it with cling film and let it rest in the fridge for a minimum of 1h
Roll our your dough extremely thin (1mm) and with your biscuit cutter, cut out your biscuits. They will grow a little in the oven so the thinner you can roll them out the ‘snappier’ they’ll be
Put them on a tray lined with parchment paper
Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 160 FAN for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on how big your cutter is)
While they are cooling prepare your royal icing
Start beating the egg whites and when they are frothy start adding in slowly you icing sugar. Keep going until it’s all incorporated
If you are planning to use different colour, divide your icing in separate bowls and mix in the pigment/paste or gel colour.
You royal icing is now ready to go into a piping bag and you can start decoration
The icing will dry quickly on your biscuits
Enjoy!
Tips & cheats
Mince Pies
You can decide what nuts and mixed fruit to add as well as zest. Don’t be afraid to try! Give it a go and perfection the mince based on your personal taste.
I find the that the full lid mince pies are easier to bake than the ones with a star or heart shaped lid
If you want to dust them with icing sugar mix it with a tbsp of cornflour. That will prevent it from melting on top of the pies
Biscuits
Try and roll these as thin as you can and use a spatula to lift them and put them in the tray. You will be rewarded with a great snap
Don’t use liquid colour for the icing or it might dilute it too much making your icing runny
