Mince Pie Cookies

RAW . VEGAN . GLUTEN-FREE

December 1st and it's time to release the first of my special Christmas recipes! These no-bake cookies are simple to make and freezer ready. That means you can make a batch now for the whole season and have them ready to pull out of the freezer at any time!

You can make these any shape you like, but I find the star toppers really cute. This recipe makes 12-15 cookies, depending on your cookie cutters.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry Ingredients:

1.5 cups raw Cashews

1 cup gluten-free Porridge Oats

10 pitted Medjool Dates

4 tbsp Agave or Maple Syrup

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

4 tbsp melted Coconut Oil

Pinch Salt

Mince Ingredients:

¾ cup Raisins

¾ cup chopped dried Figs (stems removed)

1 Apple (diced with skin on)

Zest of 1 Orange

Juice of ½ Orange

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp Mixed Spice

Pinch Salt

1 tsp Lemon Juice

Garnish sugggestion: ground up Zylitol sugar can be used in place of icing sugar to dust over the top.

You will also need: Flour for rolling the pastry - I use oat flour (just finely ground up porridge oats, or coconut flour)

METHOD

1. First make the pastry by grinding the oats down to a rough flour in a food processor using the basic S-blade. Add in the cashews and grind again until everything is down to as fine as you can get it.

2. Add all the other pastry ingredients and process well to form a rough dough that sticks together well when pressed between your fingers. Scrape the sides down periodically with a spatula. If the mixture is a little too dry and not sticking, add a tiny drop of water and process again.

3. Transfer this to a mixing bowl and use your hands to mould it into a ball of dough.

4. Place the dough ball between 2 sheets of non-stick paper and use a rolling pin to carefully roll the dough into a flat sheet of pastry, about 1/4 inch thick. Slide this onto a baking sheet or similar and pop in the fridge for about 2 hours or the freezer or about 1 hour.

5. Meanwhile, make the mince. Place all the ingredients, except the Apple, into the processor and grind until well mixed but not fully minced. Add the chopped Apple and process again for a short time to blend in. Taste and add more mixed spice if needed. Transfer this into a bowl, cover and pop in the fridge.

6. Chill with a cup of tea :)

7. After an hour or two, remove the set pastry from the fridge/freezer and use your cookie cutters to carefully cut out the shapes you want.

8. Spoon out the mince onto the cookies and return to the fridge or freezer in sealed container, ready for when you need them.

NOTES

The cookies will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. Or in the freezer for over a month. Take out of the freezer for 20-30 mins before serving.

Delicious served with Whipped Vanilla Cashew Cream.

Use up any left-over dough by rolling into energy balls!