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three kings mince pies

12 December 2013 by Dominic Franks

… we three kings of orient are… back in July I attended a Christmas event for one of my all time favourite stores in the world, Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly in London… I believe it’s one of the last remaining traditional department stores in the world that specialises in quality grocery items… stepping through the doors is like taking a glorious step back into a Victorian past and even though the store itself has recently had an incredible refurbishment it still remains true to it’s origins.  At this time of year, if ever you’re not feeling the Christmas spirit simply take a trip into the store and I promise you you’ll feel swaddled in all things Christmassy…

three kings mince pies with coconut shortcrust pastry
one of the stand-out items for me at the Christmas event were the Fortnum and Mason three kings mince pies… not only did they taste sensational but I loved the idea… it really spoke to me and I thought it was a fabulous way to jazz up mince pies whilst keeping them in theme with the Christmas story… here’s my take on the idea.  I’ve used a classic home-made mincemeat, exploring the tastes and and adding flavours from the origins of the three kings… I hope i’ve done them justice.

Balthazar – The King of Arabia
Balthazar gave the gift of frankincense so i wanted to bring out the flavours of Arabia with the addition of fresh chopped mint and the zest of one lemon with a touch of orange water blossom in there too… i’ve used the egg whites left-over from the yolks in the pastry to create a whipped meringue topping reminiscent of the roof tops of ancient arabia

Melchior – The King of Persia
Melchior gave the gift of gold and so i’ve given this pie a taste of the middle east with the inclusion of rose water and pistachios along with almonds and orange zest… the top is sprinkled with edible gold dust  – a nod to the gift from this king


Caspar – The King of India
Caspar gave the gift of Myrrh and i wanted to be a little more adventurous with this pie by adding some indian spices that one wouldn’t normally expect in a sweet pie, so i’ve included a touch of garam masala, a little chilli and some ginger and cumin too… there’s a star on top to represent the Star of India…

for the coconut pastry
300g plain flour
120g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
100ml milk or single cream if you’re feeling really naughty
75g desiccated coconut
1 egg yolk

to make the pastry simply crumble the flour, sugar and butter together in a large bowl then fork through the cream, coconut and egg yolk until it starts to come together at which point use your hands to form a dough

wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out and cutting into rounds

split the mincemeat three ways and add your flavours as you see fit, you can go as spicy or subtle at you like – then bake for about 12 mins until the pastry is golden

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Filed Under: Everything else Tagged With: christmas, mince pies, mincemeat, three kings

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Comments

  1. Karen S Booth says

    12 December 2013 at 10:27 am

    I ALSO love this idea Dom and especially the coconut pastry, damn lush! Fabulous festive post and I feel there maybe a carol coming on………….We three kings of course! Karen

  2. Stephanie M says

    12 December 2013 at 12:53 pm

    What a beautiful post and beautiful recipes! Great to come back to traditions and history at Christmas

  3. Rebecca Subbiah says

    12 December 2013 at 2:37 pm

    fun and I must visit that store, merry christmas

  4. Mark Willis says

    12 December 2013 at 2:37 pm

    I like food with a “story”, so your idea appeals to me, especially the one with the Indian spices in it! Curry Puff meets Mince Pie, eh? How did it taste?

  5. Michael Toa says

    12 December 2013 at 2:59 pm

    Dom, you are so clever! These mince pies are brilliant and I am sure they taste sublime.

  6. belleau kitchen says

    12 December 2013 at 3:02 pm

    yes, they had a subtle taste of spices with a warm chilli kick, very nice… my favourites in fact x

  7. manu says

    12 December 2013 at 3:06 pm

    Beautiful pies!!!

  8. Janice Pattie says

    12 December 2013 at 6:05 pm

    What a lovely idea, very creative indeed. I've never been to Fortnums, must add to my bucket list!

  9. little macaroon. says

    12 December 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Ooh Balthazar! Naughty…

  10. Susan Lindquist says

    12 December 2013 at 6:21 pm

    I love this post, Dom! So neat!

  11. Choclette says

    12 December 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Absolutely fabulous darling 😉 Love the idea and intrigued by the coconut pastry. I remember eating some myrrh chocolate once – that would be a good addition.

  12. london bakes says

    12 December 2013 at 9:24 pm

    This is such a wonderful idea – love your festive additions and particularly the sound of that coconut pastry.

  13. vohnmcg.com says

    12 December 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Fabulous, seasonal, creative! Love it Dom! Vohn x

  14. Phil in the Kitchen says

    12 December 2013 at 11:55 pm

    I'm very impressed by your king knowledge. I especially like the idea of the coconut pastry on a mince pie.

  15. Baking Addict says

    13 December 2013 at 12:45 am

    I love Fortnum and Mason. This is such a brilliant idea – mince pies with a story!

  16. Dave Jackson says

    13 December 2013 at 7:23 am

    great review and insight into mince pies

  17. Anne says

    13 December 2013 at 11:40 am

    Such a lovely idea Dom, love the idea of the coconut pastry sounds yum!

    P.s. never actually been to F&M sounds like I should pay a visit next time I am in town!

  18. Suelle says

    13 December 2013 at 3:37 pm

    What an imaginative use of flavourings! I particularly like the idea of coconut pastry, which could be used with ordinary mincemeat to boost the flavour.

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About Dom In The Kitchen

My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

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