Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
EASY STEPS TO YOUR BOOZY FRUIT MINCE PIES
Preparation time 45 mins plus 20 mins chilling and 2 nights soaking Cooking time 40 mins
Makes 10
13/4 cups plain flour, plus extra,
to dust
1/3 cup Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Icing Powder or icing sugar, sifted, plus extra, to dust 200g unsalted butter, chopped,
chilled
1 free-range egg yolk
1/3 cup water, chilled
1/4 cup hazelnut or almond meal 1 free-range egg, beaten
FRUIT MINCE
180g mixed fruit, roughly chopped 150g currants
1/4 cup mixed peel
1 apple, peeled, coarsely grated 3/4 cup Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Golden or raw caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon,
mixed spice, nutmeg
1/4 cup brandy or sherry
30g unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup finely chopped roasted
hazelnuts
STEP 1 To make fruit mince, combine all ingredients, except hazelnuts, in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours, stirring occasionally. STEP 2 Put flour, icing powder or icing sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Pulse in short bursts, adding yolk and water a little at a time, until mixture comes together and begins to form a ball. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth. Flatten to a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
STEP 3 Preheat oven to 160°C fanforced (180°C conventional). Dust bases of ten 10cmw x 2cmd loose-bottomed flan tins with flour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick. Cut out ten 11cm rounds, re-rolling offcuts if necessary, then line tins with dough, pushing into fluted sides. Trim edges.
STEP 4 Using 5, 4, 3 and 2cm starshaped cookie cutters, cut out stars from pastry offcuts.
STEP 5 Sprinkle pastry cases with hazelnut meal. Stir hazelnuts into fruit mince and strain to drain excess liquid.
STEP 6 Spoon fruit mince into each pastry case and smooth surface to sit 3mm below rim. Arrange stars on top. Brush stars with beaten egg.
STEP 7 Put pies on a wire rack over an oven tray (this helps bases cook evenly for a crisp result). Bake pies for 35-40 minutes, loosely covering in foil in final 10 minutes if over-browning. Stand in tins for 30 minutes. Dust with extra icing powder or sugar. Store up to 1 week in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.