Recipe

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.

Nov 11, 2015 6:29am
  • 1 hr 20 mins preparation
  • 20 mins cooking
  • Makes 24
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Ingredients

Christmas fig mince pies
  • 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克冷黄油,切碎
  • 1 egg, beaten lightly
  • 1 tablespoon iced water, approximately

Method

Christmas fig mince pies
  • 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.

Notes

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.

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