Christmas mince tarts

ingredients

• Christmas mince tarts

  • 3 cup (500g) raisins
  • 3 cup (500g) currants
  • 3 cup (500g) sultanas
  • 1/4 cup (115g) chopped dried pineapple wedges
  • 1/2 cup (100g) chopped glace cherries
  • 1 cup (170g) chopped mixed peel
  • 1/4 cup (120g) blanched almonds, chopped
  • 2 large cooking apples, grated
  • 1 1/2 cup (330g) brown sugar
  • 150 gram butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) brandy or rum
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • grated rind and juice of 2 oranges
  • icing sugar, to dust
  • 1 eggwhite, lightly beaten

• rich shortcrust pastry

  • 2 cup (300g) plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 185 gram unsalted butter, chopped
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

method

• Christmas mince tarts

  • 1

    Pulse dried fruit, cherries, mixed peel and almonds in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Combine with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill for two days, stirring daily.

  • 2

    Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 12-hole patty pans. To make pastry, sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips until crumbs form. Add egg yolks and enough lemon juice to form a dough.

  • 3

    Knead dough until smooth. Cover in plastic wrap, chill for 30 minutes. Roll out until 3-5mm thick. With a 7.5cm cutter, cut out 24 rounds. Place in pans, spoon 1/2 teaspoon fruit mince in each.

  • 4

    Re- roll pastry scraps. Cut out 24 stars with a 3cm cutter. Place on tarts, brush with eggwhite. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool in pans and dust with icing sugar.