Lattice Mincemeat Dessert Tart
Submitted by happyzhangbo
A lattice-topped mincemeat tart for Christmas: spiced fruit mincemeat baked in a crisp butter-and-lard shortcrust under a delicate woven lattice, dusted with icing sugar. One big tart instead of fiddly individual pies.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
8 minCOOK
50 minREADY
60 minA festive British classic in one generous slice, this tart takes everything you love about mince pies and bakes it as a single, share-able tart. A crisp, golden shortcrust cradles a thick layer of spiced mincemeat, all under a pretty woven lattice.
The pastry uses both butter and lard, the traditional pairing: lard for short, flaky crispness and butter for flavor. A rest in the fridge before rolling relaxes the dough so it won’t shrink or toughen.
The lattice looks fiddly but isn’t. A lattice cutter rolled over a sheet of pastry does the weaving for you, and you simply ease it open with both hands and lift it on top.
A brush of milk turns the lattice golden in the oven, and a snowfall of icing sugar at the end makes it a proper Christmas centerpiece.
Chef Tips
- Rub the cold fats into the flour until it looks like fine crumbs, and add only just enough water. Too much water makes the pastry tough.
- Rest the dough in the fridge before rolling. Chilled, relaxed pastry rolls out cleanly and resists shrinking in the oven.
- Ease the lattice open gently with both hands. Pull too hard and the delicate strands tear before you can lift it onto the tart.
- Bake on the highest shelf so the lattice crisps and browns rather than steaming over the moist filling.
Variations
- Stir a splash of brandy or grated orange zest into the mincemeat for extra warmth.
- Make individual lattice tartlets in a muffin tin for a party platter instead of one large tart.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).
Make up the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and rubbing the fats into it until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Then add just enough cold water to mix to a dough that leaves the bowl clean.
Place the dough in a polythene bag and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so before rolling out.
Cut off one-third of the pastry and reserve it (for the top), roll out the remaining two thirds and use it to line the prepared tin.
Spoon the mincemeat over the pastry, spreading it out evenly with a palette knife.
Using a pastry brush, dampen the edge of the pastry all round with water.
To make the lattice top, roll out the remaining pastry to an oblong strip measuring approximately 10 x 7 inches (25 x 18 cm), then run a lattice cutter along the length of the pastry, pressing firmly as you go, and continue in parallel all over.
Gently ease out the lattice, using both hands to pull it open. When it is fully opened you will have a 10 inch (25½ cm) square which needs to be lifted gently on to the pie.
Press the lattice edges gently against the pastry lining, and then trim off the excess.
Brush the lattice with milk and bake the tart on a baking sheet on the highest shelf of the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Dust the tart with icing sugar before serving.
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