I have always enjoyed a good mince pie. In East London my father had a friend who used to gift him home baked ones. They were big, boozy, and boy were they nice.

I have for the last couple of years been making this Christmas mince pie with a filling of Safari mincemeat. I usually add apple to the mix, but this year I’ve chosen blueberries and lemon zest to my filling. The recipe is from BBC Food and I’ve just tinkered with it slightly.

This is partially because I am using what’s around the house because I’m not going to risk my life in the store for cherries and apples. They were sold out at Checkers yesterday.

This recipe is as semi-healthy in my books because:

1. You are in control of the sugars.

2. There is no sugar in the pie casing.

3. If you suffer from a gluten disorder, you can use cassava flour. I have tried this and my mother and I ate all the testers.

Ingredients

For the pastry

250 g salted butter

2 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup xylitol

1 large-extra large egg, beaten

For the filling

1 jar Safari Mincemeat

1/4 cup brandy

zest of 2 lemons/oranges

1 apple, diced/1/4 cup blueberries

icing sugar for dusting (I use Xylitol icing sugar)

cherries (optional)

Method

1. Soak the mincemeat in the brandy, lemon/orange zest and fruit. Set it aside.

2. Add flour and butter to a food processor. Give it a whizz until it’s just combined. If you don’t have a food processor, rub cold butter into the flour by hand. Leave a bit of chunks in the flour. This allows the pastry to be flaky because the butter melting in the oven between the flour is what gives it a nice crumb.

3. Add sugar, and then the 1 beaten egg. Give it another whizz until the ingredients resemble a crumblike texture. Alternative, mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

4. Flour a surface and combine the ingredients by hand on a cool surface.

5. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

6. By this time, your mincemeat and the sauce is thickened. Give it a stir.

7. Roll your pastry on a floured surface the thickness of a fresh banana peel - about 3 mm.

8. Using a whiskey glass 10cm in diameter, or a cutter - shape 12-16 rings out of the dough. I sometimes use a star cutter for dramatic effect. It’s wonderful.

9. Combine the leftover pieces and with a glass smaller than the whiskey glass, 7cm in diameter, cut tops for your pies.

10. Make sure you have enough tops for the bottom pastry.

11. Grease a muffin pan well.

12. Place the bottoms in but try not to press them into the pan vigorously. Gently fashion the pastry as close as you can get it to the tray without cracking the pastry. If you do crack it, lightly tap the pastry back together again.

13. Fill mincemeat into each pastry cup well.

14. Brush the edges it with some beaten egg.

15. Seal the mince pies and cut a cross in the middle of each one to allow the heat to escape a little.

16. Bake in a hot oven at 190 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

17. Remove and cool completely, before dusting with icing sugar and topping them off with a cherry and some gold dust if you have.