Chocolate fruit mince pies

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ STANDING & REFRIGERATION) MAKES 24

Make chocolate fruit mince a week ahead. 1½ cups (170g) quinoa flour

½ cup (60g) 100% corn cornflour

½ cup (70g) gluten-free plain flour

⅓ cup (55g) gluten-free icing sugar

100g cold unsalted butter, chopped

2 eggs

2 tablespoons demerara sugar CHOCOLATE FRUIT MINCE

1 cup (200g) dried figs, chopped

½ cup (85g) sultanas

½ cup (80g) currants

½ cup (85g) pitted prunes, chopped

150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped finely

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon mixed spice

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup (60ml) brandy

¼ cup (80g) fig jam

1 Make chocolate fruit mince.

2 Process flours, icing sugar and butter until mixture is crumbly. Add 1 egg and ¼ cup (60ml) chilled water; process until ingredients just come together. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead gently until smooth. Shape into a disc. Enclose with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan.

Lightly grease two deep 12-hole (2-tablespoon/40ml) patty pans.

4 Roll two-thirds of chilled pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Cut out 24 x 7cm rounds; press into holes.

5 Divide fruit mince among pastry cases. Roll remaining pastry between baking paper until 3mm thick. Cut out 12 x 6cm rounds, then 5cm stars from centre of each round. Top pies, alternating between star shapes and cut-out rounds. Brush pastry with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

6 Bake pies for 18 minutes or until browned. Leave pies in pans for 10 minutes; transfer, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool. CHOCOLATE FRUIT MINCE

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to a week, stirring mixture once a day.