Name: Christmas fig mince pies
Prep time: 80 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 125 gram dried figs, chopped finely; 1/3 cup (45g) dried cranberries; 1/3 cup (50g) raisins, chopped; 1/4 cup (40g) mixed peel; 1/4 cup (55g) finely chopped glacé ginger; 1/4 cup (60g) finely chopped glacé peach; 1 small apple (130g), grated; 1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoon fig jam; 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind; 2 tablespoon orange juice; 1 cinnamon stick, halved; 1 teaspoon mixed spice; 1/3 cup (80ml) brandy; 1 egg white, beaten lightly; Pastry; 3 cup (450g) plain (all-purpose) flour; 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar); 225 gram cold butter, chopped; 1 egg, beaten lightly; 1 tablespoon iced water, approximately

Christmas fig mince pies

Delight your family with these homemade Christmas mince pies. We've combined figs, cranberries and raisins to create a wonderfully sweet filling for these beautiful tarts.

Makes 24

Prep

1H 20M

Cook

20M

Total

1H 40M

Ingredients

125 gram dried figs, chopped finely

1/3 cup (45g) dried cranberries

1/3 cup (50g) raisins, chopped

1/4 cup (40g) mixed peel

1/4 cup (55g) finely chopped glacé ginger

1/4 cup (60g) finely chopped glacé peach

1 small apple (130g), grated

1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoon fig jam

1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind

2 tablespoon orange juice

1 cinnamon stick, halved

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/3 cup (80ml) brandy

1 egg white, beaten lightly

Pastry

3 cup (450g) plain (all-purpose) flour

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)

225 gram cold butter, chopped

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 tablespoon iced water, approximately

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.