This recipe is split in three parts, one to make the fruit mince, one to make the pastry and one to assemble the tarts. The fruit mince can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, the flavours improve after a few days! The pastry dough can also be made ahead of time and will keep in the fridge for about 2 days. The cooked and filled tarts will last about a week, but are best eaten within a few days.
Fruit Mince Recipe
Ingredients
500g green apples
100ml apple juice
100g seeded raisins
100g currants
100g mixed peel
50g dried cranberries
50g dried blueberries
100g dried vegetable suet
150g brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla
50ml brandy
Method
1. Place all of the ingredients in a stockpot and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to make sure the mixture isn't burning on the bottom of the pot.
3. Spoon directly into hot, sterilised jars or a large tupperware container, splash a little extra brandy in each jar and seal.
4. Will keep stored in jars for about six months, if keeping in tupperware should be used within a week.
Makes enough for 40 small tarts.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
400g plain four
120g icing sugar, sifted
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
240g cold butter, cubed
1 egg, chilled
Method
1. Combine flour, icing sugar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt in food processor and process to combine.
2. Add butter, pulse until fine crumbs form.
If don’t have a food processor simply combine those ingredients in a bowl and use thumbs to create a fine crumb-like mixture, that will still be quite dry.
2. Beat egg lightly, then add to mixture, pulse to combine.
If using the hand method, just mix with a spoon a bit then use your hands to bring it together.
3. Once dough is combined turn onto work surface.
4. Bring pastry together with the heel of your hand, form into 2 discs, wrap each separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Makes enough for 24 tarts.
Fruit Mince Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
1 portion of fruit mince
1 portion of sweet shortcrust pastry
1 egg
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 Shallow muffin or tart pan
Method
1. Butter the muffin/tart pan very generously, including the flat bit so they come out easily.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Once the dough has cooled and hardened in the fridge, roll out one of the discs on a clean surface dusted with flour, to about 5mm thickness. If you are limited for space, break off a small portion of the disc and roll out in sections.
4. Cut out circles of the pastry using a cup or round cookie cutter and place in the muffin pan and gently press into bottom edges of the tin. If the pastry rips just put on more to cover up the hole. Place tray in the fridge for dough to harden.
5. Roll out more pastry to same thickness, and then cut out stars with cookie cutter, or circles or any shape you like. Place these stars on a tray lined with baking paper.
6. Refrigerate the pastry in the muffin pan and the stars for about 30 minutes.
7. Once the uncooked tart shells have hardened a bit, spoon in about a tablespoon of the mince to each muffin pan hole, depending on how big the pan holes are. The mixture should come up to about the top of the edge.
8. Place the stars on top of the circles and press edges gently together.
9. Make an egg wash with 1 egg and a splash of milk mixed together. Brush all the tarts with this to make them go shiny. Sprinkle some caster sugar over the top of each one.
10. Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes. When done they should be slightly browned on top and pastry looks cooked.
11. Take out of pan holes by sliding a butter knife around the edges to lift them out.
12. This recipe makes about 24 small tarts, so you will need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the size of your tin. You can roll out all of the pastry and cut the circles and stars and refrigerate them, then fill the muffin pan when its ready.
Enjoy your hard work with a cup of tea (or some leftover brandy) and a tart!
Fruit Mince Recipe
Ingredients
500g green apples
100ml apple juice
100g seeded raisins
100g currants
100g mixed peel
50g dried cranberries
50g dried blueberries
100g dried vegetable suet
150g brown sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla
50ml brandy
Method
1. Place all of the ingredients in a stockpot and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to make sure the mixture isn't burning on the bottom of the pot.
3. Spoon directly into hot, sterilised jars or a large tupperware container, splash a little extra brandy in each jar and seal.
4. Will keep stored in jars for about six months, if keeping in tupperware should be used within a week.
Makes enough for 40 small tarts.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
400g plain four
120g icing sugar, sifted
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
240g cold butter, cubed
1 egg, chilled
Method
1. Combine flour, icing sugar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt in food processor and process to combine.
2. Add butter, pulse until fine crumbs form.
If don’t have a food processor simply combine those ingredients in a bowl and use thumbs to create a fine crumb-like mixture, that will still be quite dry.
2. Beat egg lightly, then add to mixture, pulse to combine.
If using the hand method, just mix with a spoon a bit then use your hands to bring it together.
3. Once dough is combined turn onto work surface.
4. Bring pastry together with the heel of your hand, form into 2 discs, wrap each separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Makes enough for 24 tarts.
Fruit Mince Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
1 portion of fruit mince
1 portion of sweet shortcrust pastry
1 egg
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 Shallow muffin or tart pan
Method
1. Butter the muffin/tart pan very generously, including the flat bit so they come out easily.
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Once the dough has cooled and hardened in the fridge, roll out one of the discs on a clean surface dusted with flour, to about 5mm thickness. If you are limited for space, break off a small portion of the disc and roll out in sections.
4. Cut out circles of the pastry using a cup or round cookie cutter and place in the muffin pan and gently press into bottom edges of the tin. If the pastry rips just put on more to cover up the hole. Place tray in the fridge for dough to harden.
5. Roll out more pastry to same thickness, and then cut out stars with cookie cutter, or circles or any shape you like. Place these stars on a tray lined with baking paper.
6. Refrigerate the pastry in the muffin pan and the stars for about 30 minutes.
7. Once the uncooked tart shells have hardened a bit, spoon in about a tablespoon of the mince to each muffin pan hole, depending on how big the pan holes are. The mixture should come up to about the top of the edge.
8. Place the stars on top of the circles and press edges gently together.
9. Make an egg wash with 1 egg and a splash of milk mixed together. Brush all the tarts with this to make them go shiny. Sprinkle some caster sugar over the top of each one.
10. Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes. When done they should be slightly browned on top and pastry looks cooked.
11. Take out of pan holes by sliding a butter knife around the edges to lift them out.
12. This recipe makes about 24 small tarts, so you will need to repeat this process a few times, depending on the size of your tin. You can roll out all of the pastry and cut the circles and stars and refrigerate them, then fill the muffin pan when its ready.
Enjoy your hard work with a cup of tea (or some leftover brandy) and a tart!