Homemade Christmas Fruit Mince Pies

• Main Ingredient: Fruit Mince
• Prep Time: 2H10min
• Cook Time: 20 Min.
• Serves: 30 mini pies
• Recipe by: Just a Mum

“These Homemade Christmas Fruit Mince Pies are absolutely delicious, I have given them a bit of a makeover with added flavours of citrus and nuts for a divine texture. You will love these! ” see Justamumnz.com

INSTRUCTIONS:

PASTRY

1. In a large mixer bowl add the room temperature butter and sugar and begin to cream the mixture, until it is pale and fluffy (approx 4 minutes)
2. Add the eggs and combine well for a further minute
3. Combine the flour and baking powder and add this to the bowl and continue to mix until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Lay out a sheet of plastic food wrap and tip the ingredients onto this, create an oval and fully wrap in the plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

FILLING

1. While the pastry is chilling prepare the Fruit Mince Filling, pour the Fruit Mince into a medium bowl, chop the Almonds & Cashews into tiny to medium pieces, and zest the oranges.
2. Combine all ingredients together and set aside.

PASTRY CASES

1. Preheat oven to 180C (355F)
2. Prepare mini muffin trays with liberal amounts of cooking spray and set them aside.
3. Once the dough has chilled remove it from the fridge and set up your bench with all the tools you will need, a rolling pin, 7.5cm cookie cutter, star cutter, flour, and a teaspoon.
4. Sprinkle flour on the bench and break off a cup-sized chunk of the dough, knead it gently until it is more pliable and comes together and with a floured rolling pin begin to roll the dough until it is approx 3mm thick.
5. Take the cookie cutter and cut the dough, then transfer this to the mini muffin tray, slightly draw together the edges of the circle and gently lower it onto the tin and press down around the base and sides with your fingertips.
6. Repeat until your tray is full. You can combine the scraps to form more dough and take more from the original batch as needed.
7. Add one teaspoon-sized amount of Fruit Mince filling into each case.
8. Again knead and roll out a cup-sized ball of dough and using the star cutter create lids for the mini mince pies.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until they appear golden in colour, I always gently lift one pie out to check the base has coloured also.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin then gently transfer to a wire rack – they should slide out using a knife on one edge to lift them.
11. Allow to completely cool on a wire rack, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

Merry Christmas & Enjoy!