What will you be serving for dessert this Christmas? If you’re thinking of keeping it traditional this Christmas, try this recipe for yummy Traditional Christmas Mince Pies.
Traditional Christmas Mince Pies
You’ll need:
- 360g (2 cups) dried mixed fruit
- 200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 50g (1/3 cup) slivered almonds, finely chopped
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, quartered, cored, coarsely grated
- 40g butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- White sugar, to dust
Pastry
- 300g (2 cups) plain flour
- 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
- 160g chilled butter, chopped
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons iced water
Method:
- Finely chop half the mixed fruit and place in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, almond, apple, butter, brandy, lemon rind, lemon juice, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and the remaining mixed fruit. Stir until well combined, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to soak overnight, stirring occasionally.
- The following day, make the pastry by placing the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and processing until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water, and process until the mixture just starts to come together. Turn onto a clean work surface, shape into a disc and with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
- While the pastry rests, preheat your oven to 180C. Take the fruit mix and transfer to a fine sieve over a bowl. Stir the mix to remove any excess liquid.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until about 5mm thick. Use an 8.5cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut 20 discs from the pastry. Use a 5cm-diameter star-shaped pastry cutter to cut 20 stars from the remaining pastry.
- Line twenty muffin pans, approximately 1/3 cup deep, with pastry discs. Divide the fruit mince among the pastry cases and top with pastry stars. Brush the stars lightly with the egg and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe: Taste