Mince Moons

Whether as Mince Pie or Mince Moons, vegans can enjoy this traditional treat with no fear of anything scary lurking in the mix. It is easy to prepare and, if it lasts, can sit out for several days with no problem. My daughter named the little pies Moons because they are crescent shaped. A lattice crust is pretty to weave on the Mince Pie.

Filling for One Deep Dish Pie

 

Ingredients

1 ½ cups — raisins (I used to chop them, but have decided it's not necessary.)

4 — apples, pared, cored, chopped

1 — organic orange, juiced, and then rind chopped finely

½ cup — cider

 

Method

Cover these ingredients and simmer until the apples are very soft. Then stir in:

More Ingredients

¾ cup — Sucanat (brown sugar)

½ tsp each — cinnamon and clove powder or allspice

3 Tblsp. — finely crushed pretzels or crackers, or arrowroot powder (this last is to help it bind, but I like the way the crackers fool the eye and make you wonder, “What is that??”

This mixture can be made ahead. I often make it and the pumpkin filling on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and then it is easy to fill pie shells and bake them the night before.

Method for Moons

For the MINCE MOONS: roll out crust (look elsewhere on this blog for my crust recipe), and use a five-inch round thing (I happened to have a crumpet tin, but a plastic container would work) to cut out as many rounds as you can. Bunch the remaining dough with some more dough and do it again. I had about eleven of the rounds altogether. 

 

Spoon a bit of the filling (heaping tablespoon) on one side, fold the circle in half, and press it together. You can bend them into crescent shapes. Bake at 425F degrees for thirty minutes.

 

 

Method for MINCE PIE

Roll out one crust, lay it in a pie plate, and fill it with the filling. You can pour four tablespoons of brandy over it at this point if you want, but it isn't necessary. 

 

With the second crust, cut it in half inch wide long strips. Lay down one across the width of the pie. Lay another across it perpendicularly. Then weave more strips in, lifting the alternating strips so you get a latticework. It really isn't hard, and I will leave it to you to figure out. 

 

Crimp the edges together to neaten it up. You can bake this the same as the mince moons, at 425F degrees for half an hour or until just beginning to brown slightly. Or you can bake either of them in a preheated 450F degree oven for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for twenty minutes. Your choice.

 

I feel like I only made the one pie filling but still had enough for the moons and a flatter mince pie. If you double the recipe, you could freeze half of it for a later holiday pie.