How to make a gluten-free and dairy-free mince pie

Britons consume more than 780 million mince pies each Christmas. These sweet treats are a staple for the season for many, but not all Britons are able to eat traditional mince pies.

Express.co.uk has compiled a tasty recipe for gluten-free and dairy-free mince pies to satiate the hunger of those unable to eat traditional mince pies. HOW TO MAKE A GLUTEN-FREE AND

DAIRY-FREE MINCE PIE INGREDIENTS FILLING: * One large apple (around 200g), peeled and grated * 200g mixed dried fruit * 390g jar black cherries in kirsch * 100g skinless hazelnuts, roasted

and roughly chopped * One orange, zested and juiced * One tsp cinnamon * One tsp ginger * One tsp allspice * 150g dark brown sugar. FOR THE PASTRY: * 400g flour * 200g coconut oil, straight

from the fridge (as solid as possible) * 20g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting * 50ml ice-cold vodka (see tip below) * 50ml non-dairy milk, for brushing READ MORE: QUEEN ELIZABETH’S PASTRY

CHEF SHARES HER FAVOURITE MINCE PIE RECIPE Add after two tablespoons of ice-cold water if the mixture is too dry. Tap the dough onto a clean surface and pat it into a disc with your hands.

Be sure to avoid touching the dough when your hands are overly warm as it can affect pastry dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove the

pastry from the fridge and cut off at least one-third of the pastry, keeping this part covered under a tea towel. Cut the rest of the mixture into five chunks and squeeze one chunk at a time

with your hands until it is malleable. Roll out the mixture onto a well-floured surface to 0.5cm thickness and cut out circles using a 9cm cookie cutter tool. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole

cupcake tins with these pastry discs. READ MORE: CHRISTMAS BISCUIT RECIPES: HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES Place a heaped spoonful of the mincemeat in the middle of each circle before placing

the pies in the fridge. Take the remaining pastry from underneath the tea towel and roll out 0.5cm thickness. Transfer this to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and chill for up to

15 minutes to firm up. Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4 and then remove the pastry sheet from the fridge and cut nine circles using an 8cm cookie cutter tool, then use a star

cutter to cut out the middle of those circles. Bridge the mince pies out of the fridge and top half of them with the stamped out circles and the others with the stars. Use your fingers to

seal the tops and bases before brushing them with milk and then proceed by baking them for 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Cool the pies a little before dusting with

icing sugar.