Recipe

Fruit mince pies

You know its Christmas when the fruit mince pies come out.

Nov 21, 2021 1:00pm
  • 20 mins cooking
  • Makes 24 Item
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Sweet buttery pastry encasing a classic mix of fruit, nuts, spices and a touch of brandy (of course), mean these fruit mince pies are a tradition we need to keep around.

Ingredients

Fruit mince
  • 1 (130g) apple, peeled, cored
  • 1/2 cup (80g) sultanas
  • 1/3 cup (55g) mixed peel
  • 2 tablespoon red glacé cherries, chopped
  • 1/3 cup (40g) currants
  • 1/3 cup (55g) blanched almonds, chopped
  • 1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 40 gram butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoon brandy
Fruit mince pies
  • 2 cup (300g) plain flour
  • 2 tablespoon almond meal
  • 180 gram cold butter, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

Fruit mince pies
  • 1
    Make fruit mince three days ahead. Finely chop apple and half the sultanas. Combine in bowl with remaining sultanas and remaining ingredients, mix well. Transfer mixture to sterilised jar. Store in refrigerator for at least three days before using. (Makes about 2 cups fruit mince.)
  • 2
    Grease two 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) shallow round-based patty pans.
  • 3
    Sift flour into a large bowl and stir in almond meal; rub in butter. Stir in rind and sifted icing sugar. Stir in egg yolk and enough of the milk to make ingredients cling together. On a lightly-floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
  • 4
    Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
  • 5
    Roll pastry until 3mm thick, then cut out 7.5cm rounds and press into patty pans. Drop tablespoons of fruit mince into each pastry case.
  • 6
    Roll pastry scraps on floured surface, cut out desired shapes. Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.
  • 7
    Bake pies about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

Notes

To sterilise jars, cover clean jars with cold water in a large saucepan, cover; boil for 20 minutes. Remove jars from water; drain. Stand jars, top-side up, on a wooden board, in a cold oven (do not allow the jars to touch). Heat oven to 120°C/100°C fan-forced. Leave jars in oven for 30 minutes. Add hot fruit mince to hot jars, then seal.

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