Mince Pies

Ingredients

• 200 g dried fruit (e.g., plums, apricots, dates etc.)
• 50 g candied fruit (e.g., mango, ginger, pineapple)
• 1 apple
• 100 g pork lard
• 50 g cane sugar
• 25 g almonds (coarsely chopped)
• 1 untreated orange
• 1 untreated lemon
• 2 tsp spice cake spice
• 2 tsp apricot brandy
• 250 g flour
• 150 g butter (liquid)
• 1 egg
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the filling finely chop the dried fruit and candied fruit. Peel, quarter, core, and dice the apple. Wash the orange and lemon hot, dry them, grate their zest finely. Then cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Mix the dried fruit, candied fruit, orange and lemon zest, apple pieces, and almonds. Stir in pork lard, sugar, lemon juice, spice cake spice, and brandy. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake at 100 °C (top/bottom heat) for 2 hours, stirring several times.

2. 2.

   For the shortcrust dough quickly knead all ingredients together, shape into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to 3–4 mm thickness on lightly floured surface and line 12 small tins (e.g., mini tartlets or mini muffin tins). Spread the filling over them. Cut 12 dough circles from the remaining dough to cover the tins, cutting a star in the center of each. Place the covers on the filled tins and press the edges together. Bake at 180 °C (top/bottom heat) for about 15–20 minutes until golden brown. Remove, loosen from the tins, and let cool.