Fruit Mince Tarts
Homemade fruit mince tarts are absolutely worth the effort. This version of fruit mince is easy to make, sweet and spiced, and generously spiked with brandy.
The mince gets better and better over time, so you can make it up to a month in advance to take some of the pressure off.
We've included a simple shortcrust pastry here, but feel free to buy one if you're running short on time. Some of the better brands use butter instead of margarine and are palm oil free.
Ingredients 20
For The Fruit Mince Filling
2 green apples, medium, peeled and diced
250 g pitted prunes, chopped
2 oranges, zested and juiced
150 g dried figs, chopped
300 g sultanas
1⁄2 cup slivered almonds
75 g brown sugar
1⁄2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 1⁄2 tsp ground allspice
1 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
1 1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch salt
1⁄4 cup brandy, or to taste
For The Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
450 g plain flour
1⁄3 cup caster sugar
300 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1⁄3 cup iced water
To Assemble
1 tbsp butter, unsalted, for greasing
1 egg, whisked
To Serve
2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
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Method 17
For The Fruit Mince Filling
Start by making the Fruit Mince Filling, you can prepare this up to a week ahead of time. Peel and dice the , cut the in half and put into a medium saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the . You'll need about 1 cup of juice, make it up with extra water if you don't have enough. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples and prunes are very soft.
Using a hand held blender, blitz to a smooth paste.
Roughly chop the , and add to the saucepan along with the , currants, , , , ground all spice, , ground black pepper pepper and a pinch of .
Add half a cup of water and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. If the mixture dries out, loosen with little more water or more . The consistency should remain thick and paste like.
Turn off the heat, add the and stir to combine. Let the mix sit for a few hours to develop in flavour. If you are making the filling in advance, store in a container in the fridge.
For The Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Cut the into 1cm cubes, then place in the fridge until ready to make the pastry.
Sift the into a medium bowl, add the and stir to combine. Tip into a stand mixer or food processor, then add the and mix on medium, or pulse, until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Turn off the stand mixer or food processor, then drizzle the over the mixture. Continue to mix on medium or pulse until the mixture is just starting to come together. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured bench top and lightly knead for 10 seconds with your finger tips to bring it together into a ball. Flatten into a disc, then tightly wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least half an hour, up to overnight.
To Assemble
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin or small pie tin tray with and set aside.
Take the pastry disc out of the fridge. If it feels rock hard or has been made the day before, let it soften out of the fridge for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured bench top, roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick.
Cut out 12 x 10cm circles with a round cutter or knife, re-rolling off cuts if necessary. Line the muffin tin holes with the pastry circles, gently pressing them into place.
Spoon about 1-2 tbsp of the fruit mince mix into each tart. Re-roll the remaining pastry to 3mm thick and cut into 1cm wide strips. Cut into 8cm lengths and create a lattice pattern on top of each tart. You could also use a star cutter and place these on top of each tart instead of the lattice.
Whisk the and brush on top of each tart. Put the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the pastry cool again.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from the oven, let cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
To Serve
When the tarts are cool, dust the tops with and serve.
Clove Kitchen's tips
When making the pastry, keep everything as cold as possible. Keep the butter and iced water in the fridge until the last minute, and roll the pastry out in the coolest area in your kitchen. Once the tarts are assembled, place them back in the fridge for 30 minutes before popping them in the oven to ensure the pastry holds its shape when baking.
