Mince Pies

Ingredients

• 250 g dried fruit (e.g., plums, apricots, dates etc.)
• 1 apple
• 1 Organic Orange
• 1 Organic lemon
• 25 g chopped almonds
• 250 g butter
• 125 g raw cane sugar
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice
• 2 tsp apple juice
• 250 g wheat flour type 1050
• a pinch of salt
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. 1.

   Finely chop the dried 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, orange and lemon zest, apple pieces and almonds. Add 100 g butter, 50 g sugar, lemon juice, gingerbread spice and apple juice and mix well. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 100 °C (fan 80 °C; gas: level 1) while stirring several times for about 2 hours, then let cool.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile combine flour with remaining sugar and salt, sift onto a work surface, make a well in the center and crack an egg into it. Distribute the remaining butter in small flakes around the well and cut all ingredients into crumbs with a knife. Quickly knead by hand into a smooth dough, shape into a ball and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. 3.

   Roll out shortcrust pastry on lightly floured surface to 3‑4 mm thickness and line 12 small tins (e.g., mini tartlets or mini muffin tins) with it. Spread the filling onto the pastry. Cut various shapes from the remaining dough and place them on the tartlets. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C; gas: level 2‑3) for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove, carefully lift out of the tins and let cool.