Chocolate Mincemeat Tart

Chocolate Mincemeat Tart is a great alternative to traditional individual  Christmas mince pies. The pastry is crisp on the top and melts in the mouth and the deep fruit and chocolate filling is lusciously sweet and moist with just enough citrus tartness.

Save time by making a large pie which can be served as a dessert as well as for a tea time treat.

What is Mincemeat?

Is there any meat in mincemeat? 

Originally, there was meat in mincemeat as well as the dried fruit and spices. This is how it got its name. The meat element was gradually replaced with beef suet. I use vegetable suet but you can also use butter. This means the mincemeat is also suitable for vegetarians.

Why add chocolate to the mincemeat?

Chocolate adds a real depth of flavour to the mincemeat.  Mincemeat is sweet but it is also tangy with lemon juice and dried fruits. I really recommend you try adding chocolate to your mincemeat. It adds a mellowness to the mixture and, let’s face it, who doesn’t like chocolate?

Deep Filled Chocolate Mincemeat Tart

I like lots of mincemeat in my tarts. I sometimes find that small mince pies can have too much pastry and not much mincemeat.  Make a large tart and you get a lot more filling. 

What kind of mincemeat should I use? 

Use any kind of mincemeat that you enjoy. This recipe works with homemade mincemeat and you can add chocolate to store-bought mincemeat.

Make your own mincemeat 

I made Instant Chocolate  Mincemeat for the Chocolate Mincemeat Tart because you can easily make this mincemeat recipe right before you use it.  

Or plan ahead and make this cooked Dark Chocolate Mincemeat which is best left for 2-3 weeks before using. 

Buy ready-made mincemeat

If you are not making your own mincemeat, then buy a jar of mincemeat and add chocolate and perhaps a tablespoon of brandy. That really lifts shop-bought mincemeat.  

How to make Chocolate Mincemeat Tart

All quantities and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

Make the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Weigh the flour and put it in a large bowl.  Cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour.

Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut the butter through the flour, reducing the size of the butter pieces.  Then get your hands (clean, of course) into the bowl and star to rub the butter and flour. 

Once the flour and butter look like breadcrumbs it is ready for the next stage 

Add the egg

Separate the egg, set aside the white and mix the yolk with the cold water. Add the egg to the flour and work the mixture together with a knife until it comes together.

Knead briefly then wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry and line the tim

Cut off 1/3 of the pastry and put it to one side.  Roll out the larger piece of pastry and use it to line an 18cm flan/quiche tin.

Brush the edges of the pastry base with egg white and place on the lid, trim off excess pastry pressing the edges of the pastry together.   Brush the top of the pastry with egg white and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Bake

Bake at 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 for   35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Leave for about 10 minutes to cool, then dust with icing sugar.

How do I serve Chocolate Mincemeat Tart?

Serve the tart warm with cream, ice cream or custard for a delicious dessert.  Or serve small slices with tea or coffee at your holiday celebration get-togethers. 

More Festive Desserts

Dried Fruit Compote with Clementines is a wonderful combination of sweet dried fruit, juicy clementine oranges and a little hint of orange liqueur. It makes a great dinner party dessert as it is a very easy recipe to make and you can make it ahead of time.

Christmas Mini Mince Pies are small buttery pastry pies filled with a delicious mixture of dried fruit, and warming spices. They are bite-sized versions of the traditional British mince pies that are such a feature of Christmas holiday feasts.  

Slow Cooker Scottish Cloutie Dumpling is an updated recipe for a delicious traditional Scottish steamed ‘pudding’ dessert. It tastes exactly as it should, retaining all the expected flavours but I make it in my slow cooker for maximum convenience.

• Mincemeat & Almond Cake – Curly’s Cooking
• No Bake Mincemeat Cheesecake – Fuss Free Flavours
• Cranberry Mince Pie Filo Rolls – Sew White

PIN FOR LATER

Chocolate Mincemeat Tart

Janice Pattie

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 8

Calories 390.98 kcal

Equipment

• Large bowl
• blunt knife
• rolling pin
• 18 cm flan tin
• Pastry brush

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary units

For the pastry

• 200 g plain flour plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50 g vegetable shortening or lard
• 70 g butter
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp water

Instant Chocolate Mincemeat

• 400 g Instant chocolate mincemeat 1 jar
• 1 tbsp Tia Maria or Brandy optional
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds to sprinkle on the top

Instructions

 

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt.  
• Cut the shortening and butter into cubes with a blunt knife or pastry cutter. Rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumb, (you can do this in a food processor) then stir in the sugar
• Separate the egg and mix the yolk with the cold water set aside the white.
• Add the egg to the flour and work the mixture together with a knife until it comes together, knead briefly.  Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5
• Cut off 1/3 of the pastry and put it to one side.  Roll out the larger piece of pastry and use to line an 18cm flan/quiche tin.
• Mix the brandy or Tia Maria (if using) with the mincemeat. Fill the pastry case with mincemeat. Then roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid.
• Brush the edges of the pastry base with egg white and place on the lid, trim off excess pastry pressing the edges of the pastry together.
•  Brush the top of the pastry with egg white and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
• Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Leave for about 10 minutes to cool, then dust with icing sugar.

Notes

If using shop-bought mincemeat, add a tablespoon of brandy or Tia Maria along with 50g of chopped dark chocolate or small chocolate chips, stir thoroughly.  

Nutrition

Calories: 390.98kcalCarbohydrates: 59.59gProtein: 4.76gFat: 14.73gSaturated Fat: 6.31gCholesterol: 39.27mgSodium: 495.63mgPotassium: 43.15mgFiber: 1.98gSugar: 36.84gVitamin A: 248.36IUCalcium: 12.23mgIron: 1.3mg

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