Mince Pies With Whipped Cream

Recipe by Russell James

Makes 15 pies

For the pastry 

1c almonds 

1c walnuts 

1c pecans 

1c raw jumbo rolled oats

20 dried soft apricots

For the filling

7 soft dates

juice of 1 orange

1t orange zest

1 apple

½t mixed spice

1c raisins

For the cream

1c courgette, peeled and chopped

¼c agave nectar

1c cashews, soaked 2 hours

1t psyllium husk powder

1t vanilla extract

• Soak nuts overnight and fully dry them in a dehydrator.  To make the pastry, first process the nuts and oats in a Vita-Mix dry jug or coffee mill so that you end up with a fine ‘flour’.

• Transfer the mixture to a food processor with an ‘s’ blade.  Add apricots one at a time until the whole mixture becomes sticky.  If you are using apricots that have been soaked, you may find that you already have a dough-like consistency.  If the mixture isn’t forming a ball in the processor at this point then add some water (soak water if you soaked the apricots) a few tablespoons at a time until it does.

• Roll out the mixture on a flat surface so that it is about twice the thickness of a pound coin.  If mixture sticks to rolling pin, mill some more oats to dust the rolling pin and rolling surface with.

• Using a pastry cutter that will cut a base to the required size for your baking tray, cut the bases from the rolled out dough.  Place these in a muffin baking tray that has been lined with Cling Film.  You will need to re-form and re-roll the dough to get the most from it.  Use any left over dough to build extra pies!!!  Place the baking tray in a dehydrator at 115 degrees F.

• To make the filling, remove stones and flowers from dates and place in food processor.  Add the orange juice, zest and mixed spice.  Process and add water as needed to produce a creamy consistency.  Mixture will need to occasionally be scraped from the sides of the processor using a spatula.

• Chop apple into small pieces and add to mixture.  Process for a further 15 seconds.

• Add raisins to mixture and stir in with a wooden spoon/spatula.

• Remove bases after the 3 hours and fill with raisin mixture.

• To warm the pies, return them to the dehydrator on mesh sheets for as long as you can keep your hands off ‘em!!!  They should be ready after an hour.

• Whilst they are warming, process the courgette, agave and vanilla in a blender until smooth.  Add the cashews and process again until mixture becomes smooth again.  Add the psyllium and blend a final time.  When fully blended leave the mixture to firm up for 5 minutes.  Transfer this mixture to a piping bag and pipe onto the warmed pies.  You are now ready to enjoy raw mince pies with whipped cream!!!

Merry Christmas!!! xxx

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