Ingredients
Pastry
Method
1.Combine fruit, sugar, jam, rind, juice, spices and brandy in a medium bowl. Cover, stand for 1 week or up to a month; stir mixture every 2 or 3 days.
2.Make pastry: Blend or process flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg and enough of the water, processing until ingredients come together. Knead pastry on a floured surface until smooth. Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
3.Grease two 12-hole (2-tablespoon/40ml) deep flat-based patty pans. Divide pastry into thirds. Roll one portion of pastry between sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick; cut 12 x 7cm rounds from pastry. Repeat with another portion of pastry. Press rounds into pan holes; prick bases all over with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
4.Preheat oven to 200°C.
5.Roll remaining pastry between sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick; cut 12 x 6.5cm fluted rounds and 12 x 6.5cm star shapes from pastry.
6.Discard cinnamon stick from fruit mince mixture; spoon fruit mixture into pastry cases. Top with pastry shapes, pressing edges to seal; brush pastry with egg white.
7.Bake pies about 20 minutes. Leave pies in pans for 5 minutes before transferring onto wire racks to cool. Just before serving, dust with sifted icing (confectioners’) sugar, if you like.
You will need to start this recipe at least 1 week ahead. Mince pies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Note
