Buy frozen dough and make tarts!

Hmmm . . . wondering if I could make mini galette/crostadas? I guess triangle shaped "pies" would be the best use of the dough, minimizing leftover ends . . . Or maybe I should just add some apples and do a pie. All good ideas it seems!

DH loves mince tarts. Make a short crust pastry dough. I use 4oz butter, blended into 1 cup of all purpose flour in the food processor, tip it out and add enough cold water (in very small increments) to bring it all together with minimal handling. Roll out thinly and cut circles large enough to press into tartlet pans. Fill with mincemeat. Cut smaller circles of pastry for the tops and with a thimble or similarly small cutter, cut a decorative hole in the centre. Press onto the top of the tarts. Don't worry too much about sealing the edges. Bake in a hot oven until golden.
You can stretch the mincemeat a little by adding a bit of marmalade if you wish.

What about those tiny mincemeat tarts made in mini muffin tins? I've seen recipes using a pressed crust that's much easier than a rolled crust.

Also, I always add some chopped fresh apples or pears to the mincemeat (approx. 1/3 extra) - makes it much tastier, IMO.

Here's a recipe for an easy pressed crust - should be easy enough to sub the mincemeat for the pecan filling in this...

Here is a link that might be useful: Mini Pies

My mother always made mincemeat cookies at Christmas. I continue the tradition with the recipe from that old pink plaid cookbook. They are simple drop cookies rich with the mincemeat and walnuts.
I will post the recipe if anyone is interested.

Bellsmom, that would be exactly my speed, drop cookies! I could kill two "essential" birds with one stone, mincemeat and Christmas cookies! Would also be good for next year too, since my crescent roll cookie type was such a disaster.

Bellsmom, please do post that cookie recipe. I have a whole jar of mincemeat in the pantry and that sounds like a good way to use it.

Here's the mincemeat cookie recipe. The recipe says this makes about 4 dozen smallish drop cookies. I never get quite that many.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 well-beaten eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour.
1 teaspoon soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup broken walnuts
1 nine-ounce package of mincemeat, finely crumbled + 3 tablespoons water
OR
1 cup canned mincemeat

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar; then add eggs and beat well.

Sift dry ingredients. Add 1/2 to creamed mixture.
Add mincemeat (plus water if using packaged mincemeat) and stir until blended.
Add remaining flour mix and nuts. Mix well

Drop from teaspoon on greased cookie sheet.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Bake 10-15 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Note: I often need to give them extra time. Probably because I make them a bit larger that I think was intended.

I just get those frozen puff pastry shells, and fill them with the mincemeat. Don't forget to add the rum. Then a squirt of whipped cream on top. Yum.

-Babka

here is a recipe I have made for squares:

Mincemeat Nut Squares - makes about 3 dozen

BASE:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter

TOPPING:
1 1/2 c. mincemeat
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. sliced almonds
3/4 c. chopped walnuts (I use pecans because I don't like walnuts)
3/4 c. coconut

For the base, combine flour, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and work as if for pastry. If you have a food processor combine with repeated short bursts until a dough is formed. Gather dough into a ball then press into the base of a 10" x 15" cookie sheet, using floured knuckles. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 -15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; REDUCE OVEN TEMP TO 325 degrees.
When the base has cooled slight, spread with the mincemeat. Combine the brown sugar and eggs in food processor and run for one minutes until the mixture is fluffy -- use an electric mixer if you do not have food processor. Add cinnamon, flour and baking powder, process just to combine, then add nuts and coconut. Top the mincemeat withspoonsful of this mixture until the base is evenly covered. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes until the tipping is set to the touch. Cool 15 minutes , then cut into squares. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These can be frozen or stored in a tin for up to two weeks.

I saw a recipe using mincemeat in date nut bread.