Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay strikes again, offering us an out-of-the-box appetizer for Christmas lunch: beef and cranberry pies. Simple in making (and well-spiced!) they will win over the palate.
Recipe from the official Gordon Ramsay website
MINCEMEAT AND CRANBERRY PIES
Ingredients for 24 tartlets
For the shortcrust pastry
- 250 g plain flour, plus a portion for dusting
- 25 g of powdered sugar
- 125 g cooled unsalted butter, cut into thin cubes
- grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
- 1-3 tablespoons ice water (if needed)
Procedure
For the shortcrust pastry, place the flour, powdered sugar, butter, and orange zest in a food processor and let it run until crumbs form. With the motor running, add the egg and mix for a few seconds until the mixture forms lumps; you should be able to crush it until it forms a ball (if necessary, add 1-3 tablespoons of ice water to make the dough compact).
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, until firm. The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead or frozen for up to a month.
Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1 cm thick. With an 8-cm fluted pastry cutter, cut out 24 circles and use them to line two 12-compartment nonstick cake pans, or alternatively individual ramekins.
Knead the scraps again until the desired thickness is achieved and, using the cookie cutters, cut out 24 stars or Christmas trees to cover. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
For the mince topping
- 1 large apple
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 110 g butter
- 240 g raisins
- 110 g dried apricots
- 175 g brown sugar
- 50 g slivered almonds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3 1/2 tablespoons nutmeg
- 50 ml brandy
- 50 ml rum
Procedure
Peel and grate a large dessert apple into a large bowl. Add the grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange, then the butter, raisins, diced dried apricots, brown sugar, slivered almonds, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, brandy, and rum. Mix well, then cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
If not used immediately, transfer the mixture to clean, sterilized jars and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
For the filling
- 400 g of already seasoned, good-quality ground beef
- 150 g dried cranberries
Procedure
Pour the previously seasoned ground beef into a bowl and combine with the dried cranberries. Place about two teaspoons of filling in each cake pan.
For the finish
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water (or egg white)
- Powdered sugar or granulated sugar to taste.
Procedure
Brush the top with the egg mixture, then bake the pies for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheets and transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for no more than a week. Warm slightly before serving, with a sprinkling of sugar.
