Christmas Mince Apple Crumble Tart
This Tart is the magical result of what happens when you combine an apple crumble with A Christmas Mince Tart. It’s a super-indulgent, YET AIP-friendly pudding.
Or, afternoon tea.
Or, midnight snack.
One thing is for sure – it’s really good!
I am a Christmas tragic.
I love (almost) everything about Christmas. The smell of the Christmas tree. And of the Christmas ham in the oven. The wrapping of presents. Christmas music. The coming together of friends and family.
Most of all, I love the feeling of Christmas.
Told you I was tragic about it.
Of course, I get this Christmas-love from my Mum. Christmas was always a big deal at our place. The table was always beautifully set at Christmastime. We would have a Christmas album – Heintje singing about Christmas – on repeat. And, then there was the German Christmas baking…
Looking back, I realise that this – in part, at least – was because she was so far away from the traditions she grew up with in Frankfurt. She missed her Mum.
And then there was – still is! – Mum’s Christmas mince…
A little Christmas mince back story
Christmas mince, for the uninitiated, is a mixture of chopped dried fruit and spices and (usually) distilled spirits. Many modern recipes contain beef suet. My Mum’s doesn’t.
Mum is world-famous-in-New-Zealand for her Christmas mince pies.
No exaggeration. My Mum makes the BEST Christmas mince pies. Ever. In the history of Christmas mince pies, even. I caught up with an old school friend in New York last year. One of the first things he brought up was his memories of Mum’s Christmas mince pies. Thirty-plus years on and he still thinks about them. They are that good.
And, very early in my AIP caper, I bastardised (<– very successfully, I think!) her recipe so that I could enjoy a little bit of an AIP version of Mum’s exceptional Christmas mince pies.
And, to make an AIP version of my Mum’s Christmas mince pie, you must first make your Christmas mince!
I do feel a teeny responsibility to mention to you that with all the fruit and other goodies in even AIP-related baking, moderation is recommended. This Christmas Mince Apple Crumble Tart is very definitely a special occasion sort of deal. Well, at my place it is.
The back story
I make my version of ‘I Can’t Believe it’s AIP’ Christmas Mince once a year. And I love it. It *is* Christmas for me. And because of this, I have a strong interest in coming up with new ways to enjoy my Christmas mince. To extend that Chrissie feeling, if you will.
Of course, there are my Very Merry AIP Christmas Mince Pies. And then, because it’s summer right now (and very hot in Sydney!) I have my ‘Down Under’ Ice Cream Christmas Pudding.
But, this year, I wanted to branch out. I wanted to try something new, and perhaps extend my Christmas mince love by giving you lot up there in the land of winter something to add you your AIP Chrissie repertoire.
Inspired by a recipe I spotted in a Dish magazine, I bring you my Christmas Mince Apple Crumble Tart. I’m quite chuffed with the result.
Arguably, one of the fiddlier recipes you’ll find from me, but well worth the effort. Good enough for Christmas day with a little coconut whipped cream or coconut milk ice cream on the side.
May you have a MOST magical Christmas!
Oh! One last thing. If you are new to the experience of AIP pastry, I have one word for you: PERSEVERE. Relax. Take your time rolling out the pastry and patch the inevitable cracks and holes in your tart tin. While it is important that you have a carefully sealed base, nobody is going to see it once it is covered with all that lovely mincemeat and apple and crumble topping. Promise!
Go forth and bake!
- 2 cups Otto's Cassava Flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 160g lard, chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 6-8 tablespoons iced water
- 4 granny smith apples
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups Christmas mince
- 1 cup Otto's Cassava Flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 100g cold coconut oil
- ½ cup shredded coconut or coconut flakes
- Peel, core and chop your apples into 3cm/1in pieces
- Pop the apple pieces into a large frypan with the maple syrup and vanilla. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are just beginning to soften.
- Stir fruit mince into the apples.
- Set aside.
- Sift your flour into the bowl of your food processor. Add sugar, gelatin and salt. Pulse to mix.
- Roughly chop your lard into small pieces and add to the mixer. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Mix the apple cider vinegar and iced water together in a small jug.
- Sprinkle this vinegar and water mixture into the food processor, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you go. You should add enough that the dough starts to leave the side of the processor,
- Wrap in parchment paper and pop into the fridge for at least twenty minutes, or until ready to make your tart.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/260°F
- Roll out your pastry between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Warning: this will be fiddly. Remove the top piece of parchment and - gently - turn the pastry into the tart tin. Take some time to ensure the pastry covers the tin. Patch over any cracks or holes with excess pastry and trim excess. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the tart to prevent bubbles.
- Pop all the crumble ingredients except the coconut flakes into your food processor. Pulse to form bread crumbs. Add the coconut flakes and give another pulse or two to mix through.
- Spread the apple fruit mince mix evenly onto the base of your tart.
- Sprinkle with the crumble. Cook for 25-30 minutes, then cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin.
**You can make your tart in advance. Remove it from the tart tin when cool and reheat in the oven for a few minutes. I like it at room temperature myself
E N J O Y !
