Vegan Mince Pies with Raw Cashew Cream

You may remember a few weeks ago I posted a recipe for vegan mince meat. Well it was finally time to crack open the jar and make some mince pies!  I decided to go fully vegan and made a batch of vegan pastry and vegan raw cashew cream.  The pastry was super simple to make and incredibly easy to use, the coconut oil giving the pies a flaky texture.  The cashew cream, whilst not as smooth as traditional cream, was quick to whip up and tasted surprisingly good.  So why not give this english classic a try?

Vegan Mince Pies – makes 8 small pies

For the pastry:

180g plain flour

100g coconut oil (it should be in a solid state) or vegan margarine

a pinch of salt

almond milk to brush before baking

 

For the cashew cream:

150g raw cashew nuts

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

a pinch of salt

To make the pastry combine the flour and salt and add the coconut oil/ margarine.  Quickly rub the oil/ margarine into the flour until you have fine breadcrumbs.  Next, add a few teaspoons of ice cold water at a time , stirring in with a knife until your pastry begins to come together.  You should then be able to use you hands to form the pastry into a ball.  Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 -30 minutes.

Flour a surface and a rolling pin and roll out your pastry to around 3 mm thickness.  Cut 7-8 cm rounds from your pastry and place half of them into a pie tin.  Spoon a generous helping of vegan mincemeat on to each pie base and top with another pastry round.  Crimp the edges of the pie to seal the filling inside.  Using a sharp knife cut a small hole in the pie lid to allow steam to escape.  Brush with almond milk.

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 12 – 15 mins until golden

To make the cashew cream, soak your cashews for at least 3 hours or overnight.  Drain and add with the rest of the ingredients into a blender.  Blend, adding a little water until you have the desired thickness.  You may need to blend for around 10 to 15 mins to make your cream super smooth.

Refrigerate before serving to allow the cream to thicken.