Not my favourite growing up, but now a firm favourite in our household, although not easy to find gluten free and vegan. This is a wholesome recipe, that I hope you will enjoy.

Gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free

Makes 12 (9 with full tops and 3 with stars)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup brown rice or brown teff flour 

• 1/3 cup arrowroot

• 3 tbsp white rice flour (I use Dove’s Farm - the white rice is best here as it helps the cake stick together)

• 1 cup ground almonds

• 4 tsp coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup (don’t pack it full) of Naturli Vegan Block (‘butter’ - you can buy this from most health foods shops and some supermarkets)

• 1/4 cup cold water (preferably filtered) - N.B. you may well not need all of this water

• Mince pie filling (you can make your own but as a quick cheat I use Meridian’s)

• Ground cinnamon and extra coconut sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Combine the flours and the sugar into a bowl.

2. Add in the ‘butter’ and then with your hands rub the ‘butter’ into the flour so it forms crumbs.

3. Then take a dinner knife (this is important according to the women in my family - I was always taught you mix the water into the pastry with a knife), and VERY slowly add in the water, just a little at time, stirring from the middle with the knife. You will see the flour mixture start to clump together. As you add more water, start to try and press the mixture down occasionally with the knife and see how well it holds. If it is holding together well then try and press it all into one, and then pull it together in the last instance with your hands, into a smooth ball. The pastry shouldn’t be too wet but also not too dry that it will crumble (remembering it is going to go into the fridge to firm up so it is fine if it is soft). I used 1/4 cup of water last time I made them, but use your judgement.

4. When together in a ball, place into the fridge to get firmer; this will take about an hour - you want it to be firm enough to roll out easily but not solid.

5. ‘Butter’ your fairy cake/tart tray and pre-heat your oven to 180C fan in preparation.

6. Place some flour onto a board and also flour a rolling pin. Then roll out your pastry to about 2mm in thickness. Cut it out with whatever size round cutter is going to fill the holes in your tray (for me it is a 8cm cutter) and then carefully lift them off the board with the flat part of a knife, placing them onto your tray, and pressing them gently into the bottom of the holes and around the sides, to go right up the edges. If you get any tears just press in a little spare pastry.

7. Fill with mince pie filling, to the top, and then cover with cut out circles (you will want a smaller size for the tops, I use a 7 cm cutter) or star shapes.

8. Bake for 15-20 mins until browning nicely.

9. Sprinkle with a little coconut sugar and ground cinnamon when they are out the oven.

10. Enjoy!

Tag me @rochelle.a.hubbard on Instagram or Facebook if you make it! I’d love to see all of your bakes.