Mince pie cookies
Mince pie cookies are the ultimate cookie for any mincemeat lover. So if you’ve got some left over mincemeat this festive season why not rustle up a batch?!
Mince pie cookies are the perfect festive cookie for any mincemeat lover. For me, it’s not Christmas until I’ve had a few mince pies, and if I’m making them at home, we’ll sometimes have a little bit of mincemeat leftover in the jar. If you’re the same, then these cookies are a great way of using that mincemeat up.
The mince pie cookies, are deliciously chewy, a little bit crispy on the outside and have lovely warming bursts of mincemeat flavours and moistness running through them. What’s not to like?!
We’ve not created stuffed mince meat cookies and rather have added the mincemeat through the cookie dough. It’s a slightly easier way of making them, with one less step to worry about and means you should get a hint of mince meat flavour in every bite.
If you’d like stuff mincemeat cookies you could follow our Nutella cookie recipe but swap the Nutella for mincemeat.
How can kids help to make mince pie cookies?
Cookies are a great bake for kids and a lovely thing to bake during the festive season. This recipe is great because it mixes everything together in one bowl which I always think is perfect for children (and means less washing up!)
My kids loved getting to measure everything out and mix it all together to make the cookie dough. Forming cookies is a lot easier and quicker than rolling out biscuits which is another reason I love making them.
Scooping out balls of cookie dough with a spoon before popping them on a baking tray is a great job for little chefs meaning even toddlers and young children can help with these.
What is mincemeat?
If you’re not familiar mincemeat, it is the traditional filling used in mince pies in the festive season. It usually contains dried and candied fruit, festive spices and some suet (or a different vegetable shortening), all soaked in brandy or another spirit. In the past mincemeat did contain meat, but it hasn’t (with the exception of the suet) for a few many many years.
We generally just use a jar of mincemeat from the supermarket, but if you want, you can make your own in advance entirely from scratch. To make your own, try this recipe for homemade mincemeat.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
If you don’t have any self raising flour, which is easily found in the supermarket here in the UK, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all purpose flour and add a teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt.
How do you store mince pie cookies?
Mince pie cookies will keep in an air tight container, at room temperature for 3-5 days.
If you want to keep the cookies for longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze them, wrap them individually in cling film and pop them in a freezer bag. Defrost them fully at room temperature before you serve them.
How do you stop the cookies from spreading too much?
You should chill the cookies in the fridge for 15 or so minutes before you bake them to stop them from spreading too in the oven.
Other festive recipes
If you liked this recipe and have more mincemeat to use up, you’ll love these other Christmasy recipes:
Mincemeat muffins
Easy homemade mince pies
Puff pastry mince pies
Mincemeat palmiers
Mincemeat loaf cake
Mincemeat flapjacks
Mince pie pinwheels
Or why not try one of these other fun, festive bakes:
Stained glass biscuits
Lebkuchen
Christmas sugar cookies
Gingerbread reindeer cookies
Gingerbread men
Danish butter cookies
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these mince pie cookies
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoons
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tray
Wire rack
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Ingredients
100g (½ cup) butter
125g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
200g (1 ¼ cups) self raising flour
½ teaspoon mixed spice
4 – 5 tablespoons of mincemeat
How to make mince pie cookies
Pre heat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F and line 2 -3 baking trays with baking or parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together
Get your kids to measure the butter and sugar out, and add them to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
Cut your butter into little pieces to make it easier to mix and if it’s not soft, (ours is always still hard from the fridge), pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it, – but not long enough for it to melt.
Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a handheld whisk, or even wooden spoons cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla
Get your kids to crack the egg into a small bowl then add it to your mixing bowl. We never add ours straight in, just in case any shell goes in. If / when it does, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a tea spoon.
Measure the vanilla extract and pour it into your bowl then mix everything together. If you’re making this with young children, you might need to hold the teaspoon steady while they pour in the vanilla or vice versa.
Mix in the flour and mixed spice
Measure the flour out and add it to your mixing bowl along with the mixed spice. Make sure your kids use their finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount of spice.
Give everything one more mix until it all comes together in a nice stiff ball of cookie dough.
Add the mincemeat
Finally, add a few spoons of mincemeat to your cookie dough and mix it in so it is well mixed through.
Make the cookies
Spoon out dollops of cookie dough onto your prepared baking trays. Leave spaces between your cookies as they’ll spread a little when they bake.
We used soup spoons because ours seem to give just the right amount, but a large heaped teaspoon or some ice cream scoops work well too.
Chill the cookies in the fridge for 15 or so before you bake them.
Bake the mince pie cookies
Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve started to turn golden brown. I like them, a little bit soft and chewy, but if you don’t you can keep them in the oven for another few minutes.
Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool on the trays for five minutes or so before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy!
Mince pie cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure the butter and sugar out, and add them to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Cut your butter into little pieces to make it easier to mix.
- Using the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, a handheld whisk, or even wooden spoons cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl then add it to your mixing bowl.Measure the vanilla extract and pour it into your bowl then mix everything together.
- Measure the flour out and add it to your mixing bowl along with the mixed spice. Make sure you use your finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount of spice.
- Give everything one more mix until it all comes together in a nice stiff ball of cookie dough.
- Finally, add a few spoons of mincemeat to your cookie dough and mix it in so it is well mixed through.
- Spoon out dollops of cookie dough onto your prepared baking trays. Leave spaces between your cookies as they'll spread a little when they bake.Chill the cookies in the fridge for 15 or so before you bake them.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve started to turn golden brown. I like them, a little bit soft and chewy, but if you don’t you can keep them in the oven for another few minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool on the trays for five minutes or so before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
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If you liked these easy mince pie cookies you’ll love our mincemeat palmiers, our puff pastry mince pies and our other fun festive bakes for kids.
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