Mincemeat Streusel Pie with Hazelnuts

What is it like?

- Fruity and packed with flavor

- A nice chewy texture

- Perfect with whipped cream or brandy butter

NOTE: the photo above is an adapted version of the recipe, made into tartlets instead of one larger pie. This is certainly an option for this recipe, just be sure to bake them for less time and remove them from the oven once they brown.

Recipe

Makes one 9-inch (25cm) tart; active prep 1 hour, cooling time 1 hour

For this recipe, you can mix and match the dried fruit as you like. Just keep in mind that you will change the flavor, but that can be part of the fun. If you don’t have dried cherries on hand, just use apricots or more dates. You can also substitute a lemon for the orange if that is what you have on hand. This dessert is perfect served with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream, as the richness balances the intense flavors of the fruit filling.

Crust
One foolproof tart crust

Mincemeat filling
1/3 cup currents, 50g
1/3 cup raisins, 50g
1/3 cup dreid cranberries, 50g
1/3 cup dreid cherries, 50g
8 small dates, chopped 50g
orange peel or mixed peel, 26g or about 2 tbsp chopped
1/3 cup hazelnuts, 40g
1 tart apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar, 60g
scant 3 tbsp butter or dairy free substitute, 36g
spices: 1/8 tsp cinnamon; 1/8 tsp nutmeg; 1tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
1 orange, zest plus 1 1/2 tbsp juice, 18ml
3 1/2 tbsp brandy or rum, 50ml

Topping
1/4 cup butter, 55g
2/3 cup flour mix, 85g
2 1/2 tbsp sugar, 30g
dash of salt

Directions:

1. Follow the directions for one foolproof tart crust. There is no need to parbake the crust for this recipe, but if you’d like to, you can. Once you transfer the crust to the tart pan, use a knife to slice the crust 1/2 inch (1 1/4 cm) up from the bottom of the pan. In other words, the pie will only be 1/2 inch (1 1/4 cm) tall.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C. While the crust chills, you can work on the filling. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all of the ingredients, except for the brandy, and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the brandy. Place the filling in the fridge to cool. If you need it to cool quickly, put it in a thin later in a metal pan, such as a pie pan.

4. For the streusel, topping mix together the softened butter, flour, sugar, and a dash of salt. If the butter is cold you can mix it in with your hands which will help soften it. Mix until you have a crumbly texture.

5. To assemble, “pour" the mincemeat onto the tart crust. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the streusel starts to brown. Serve slightly warmed with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Classic Apple Pie

Recipe

6 medium apples, peeled and sliced thinly into bite sized pieces (about 5 cups of chopped apples)
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp juice
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, dash of cloves (optional)
3 tbsp butter or Nature’s Balance buttery spread, optional

egg wash: 1 egg whisked with 2 tsp cold water
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Prepare two pie shells.

2. Slice the apples and place in a large bowl.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and toss to coat.

4. Pour apples into the prepared pie crust. Cover with the top pie crust and crimp crust together.

5. Bake pie at 375°F for about 25 minutes and then lower temperature to 350°F and bake until juices are bubbling and the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. If the edge of the crust browns too much crimp some foil around it to protect it.

Cool for at least 10 minutes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream (or whipped coconut cream!). This pie will keep in the fridge for a few days, but the crust may soften.

Pie Crust Recipe

Makes one 9-inch pie crust, for a top crust just double the recipe

1 ¼ cups (190 g) flour mix (see note)
1 tbsp (14 g) sugar
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
1 tsp psyllium husk powder or xanthan gum
½ tsp salt
8 tbsp (113 g) butter or coconut oil (or Earth Balance buttery spread*)
2 tsp grapeseed oil or preferred oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
about 2-4 tbsp very cold water

Directions:

1. Slice refrigerated butter into about 8 equal sized pieces and place in a bowl in the fridge while you prepare the flour. (If you use a soft shortening, like Earth Balance, place it in the freezer for about fifteen minutes prior to adding it to the recipe. This is important because Earth Balance tends to be softer than butter and you don’t want the shortening to melt when added to the flour.)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, sugar, cornstarch, psyllium, and salt. Pour it into the food processor and add the butter. Pulse a few times until you see pea sized pieces and some large chunks of butter.

3. Add 2 teaspoons oil and pulse very briefly.

4. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, vinegar and vanilla. Add mixture to the flour and pulse briefly. You should see pea sized chunks of butter.

5. Pour the contents back into the large bowl. Add three tablespoons of ice water and mix gently with your hands or a spoon. The dough should still look pretty dry. Add more water if necessary until when you can squeeze the mixture together between your fingers it forms a dough.

6. Pour dough into a ziplock back, close the bag, and form a disc. Refrigerate for a minimum of twenty minutes.

7. Flour a surface and pour dough onto it. Then lightly flour work surface**, top of dough and rolling pin. Roll dough out to about a 10-inch diameter circle.

8. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, lining the tin with the dough. Cut off excess dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

9. *This recipes has been tested using Earth Balance and results in a tender, but fairly crumbly crust. You can also try other kinds of shortening. Coconut oil also works well for pie crusts but it has not been tested with this recipe yet.

**I recommend using a large cutting board or the back of a cookie sheet placed over a damp towel to prevent the cutting board from slipping.

NOTE:

Flour Blend

This is the flour mix/blend I use unless otherwise specified:

4.5 cups (495g) brown rice flour (see note)
1.5 cups (219g) potato starch
3/4 cup (81g) tapioca starch

I recommend Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour because the grind is smaller than a lot of other brands.

You can find it on Amazon or here:
http://www.authenticfoods.com/products/item/35/Superfine-Brown-Rice-Flour