Mincemeat tarts have a spiced fruit filling with notes of citrus and brandy baked in a rich, buttery, flaky crust. They’re aromatic and festive, and make a lovely holiday dessert. And these little mince pies are baked in a muffin pan, so they’re individually-sized and perfectly portioned.
Lightly brush the wells of a muffin pan with butter.
Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork, a pastry cutter, 2 butter knives, or your fingertips. It should look crumbly, with some pieces of butter the size of small peas.
Drizzle the water in a little at a time, mixing as you go (you can use a fork to mix, but it works best mixing with your fingertips). Add just enough water so it comes together to form a ball of dough (you may need more or less water).
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, flatten each ball slightly into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Place 1 disk of dough onto a floured work surface. Working from the center out, roll the dough out to a rectangle about 11 to 12 by 16 to 18 inches.
To make the tarts in a regular muffin pan, you will need 16 (3.5-inch) circles and 16 (2 to 2 ¼-inch) stars for topping (or whatever shape you like for topping). Stamp out as many as you can, and then repeat this process with the second ball of dough. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll the dough, and stamp out more if needed.
Gently press each circle of dough into a muffin well in a muffin pan. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom crust of each tart.
Fill each muffin well about ¾ full with mincemeat filling (about 2 tablespoons per tart), making sure the filling is compact and there are no air bubbles.
Place 1 star on top of each tart. Lightly brush each star with eggwash, discarding any extra eggwash.
Bake in an oven preheated to 400F until the tarts are golden, about 20 to 22 minutes.
Let them cool for 15 minutes in the tray before removing (if you run a paring knife along the outside of each tart, they should pop right out).
Storage: You can store mince tarts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. After they’ve been in the fridge, I like to reheat them before serving (but reheating is optional; these are also delicious cold). To so do, preheat the oven to 350F, put the tarts on a baking tray, and bake until warm, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Freezer-Friendly: To freeze these tarts, let them cool to room temperature, and then store them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To Make a 9-Inch Pie Instead: You can also make 1 (9-inch) double-crust pie with this recipe. Bake it in a 400F oven until golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.