The last batch of fruit mince pies was baked this morning. This is usually the best batch, with all the careful adjustments of this season’s recipe. This will be the recipe I pass onto my daughter. Dark chocolate, pistachio, orange and fig with orange liqueur. You have to make your own fruit mince and pastry, there is no shortcut here. Christmas fruit mince pies- another reason to love Christmas.
Fruit filling – 75g butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 550g mixed fruit- I used raisins, sultanas, mixed peel and figs, 2TBSP orange zest, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 3 TBSP orange liqueur, juice of half an orange, 1 grated apple with skin, 2 Tbsp cocoa nibs, 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate. Melt butter and sugar in a pot , make sure sugar has dissolved, add the fruit, spices, peel, liqueur and orange juice. Simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Cool, then add chocolate and nibs.
Pastry – 250g plain flour, 160g cold butter in cubes, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 2 TBSP ice cold water, pinch of salt, egg for egg wash, 1/4 cup pistachios for the tops. Combine flour and sugar in your stand mixer, add the butter cubes, combine till it looks like bread crumbs. Whisk egg yolk and cold water and add to the mixture, mix till just combined. Transfer to a clean surface , roll into a small ball and refrigerate 30 min. Now grease your tins, I usually melt some butter and brush the butter in the tins.
Oven 190 deg C. Roll out dough in 2 sections, one for the base and one for the star tops, cut a round bigger than the baking tin round and gently place in the greased hole. Spoon in the fruit mince, top with a star and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle pistachios on top and gently push them in with the back of a spoon. Chill 10 minutes. Bake for 14 minutes. Makes 15.
Humbly accept the praise, love and adoration from the receivers.
