Fruit Mince Pie PvP {Pastry vs Pastry}

Buttery crumbly shortcrust wrapped around boozy fruit mince – a Christmas classic.

Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/4 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons (30 grams) ground almonds
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) icing sugar
• pinch salt
• 9 tablespoons (125 grams) cold unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks

To assemble:

• approx. 1 cup fruit mince

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Food processor
• 24 cup mini tartlet or muffin pan
• Round cookie cutter just larger than the wells of the pan and other mini cutters

Directions:

To make the shortcrust pop all the ingredients except for the egg yolks into a food processor.

Process to combine everything until it looks like crumbs. Add the yolks one at a time until the dough comes together.

Tip the dough out and bring it together into a disc. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To make the tarts roll the dough out to about 3mm thick. Using a round cutter that is a bit bigger than the top of the wells of your mini tart pan cut as many circles as you can. If you are super efficient you should be able to get 24.

Gently press the circles into the tart pans. It is a soft dough so it will smush around a bit. Make sure it’s snugly into the corners.

Smush the offcuts together and roll them again. I just pile them up and let the action of rolling out bring the dough together to reduce handling. Using  a small star cutter (or other seasonally appropriate shape) cut out enough tops for all your pies. Stars have been on the top of the pies in my family for as long as I can remember.

Using a small spoon fill each pastry cup with fruit mince and top with a star. I found that the homemade mince doesn’t bubble over in the oven, but the store bought kind does so if you are using a store-bought one under-fill the tarts a little bit so it doesn’t bubble out.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. The pastry will set at around 18 to 20 minutes but I like the let them colour a bit more.

Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool before dusting with icing sugar to serve.

Cook’s Notes:

• Bake a little longer than you think for a more flavourful golden pastry.
• The dough is soft so use a gentle hand in forming the tarts.

– These pies are best within 2 days of baking but will be ok for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature – 

Adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

Flaky cream cheese pastry filled with Christmas fruit mince – little bites of heaven.

Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/4 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 9 tablespoons (125 grams) cold unsalted butter
• 4 + 1/2 ounces (125 grams) cold cream cheese

To assemble:

• approx. 1/2 cup fruit mince
• 1 egg, beaten

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Round cookie cutters
• Baking sheets lined with baking paper

Directions:

To make the flaky cream cheese pastry we are borrowing from Yotam.

In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and vanilla seeds. If you are using vanilla extract add it along with the cream cheese.

Dice the cold butter and add to the processor. Pulse until it looks like breadcrumbs. Give it short zaps so you can check on it regularly and it doesn’t get too warm.

Add the cream cheese and pulse until it just comes together. Use short pulses just like before. It will help the ingredients turn over better – no soggy bottom and dry top to the dough – and you can judge exactly when to stop.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with your hands.

Press into a disc and refrigerate for an hour.

To make these pies no tin is required. Roll the pastry out to 3mm thick. Using a medium round cutter – I used one about 3 inches in diameter – cut as many circles as you can. The super efficient can probably get about 36 circles to make 18 pies. I managed to get 32 before I gave up.

Before assembling the pies cut a small hole in the centre of half the circles. I used a small star shaped plunger cutter but the end of a round piping tip will do the job too.

Brush the non-holey circles with beaten egg. That’s right before any filling goes in. Go right to the edges. This step will dramatically reduce the chance of the pies popping open in the oven.

Spoon a small dollop of fruit mince in the centre of each circle.

Gently ease a holey circle over the top so the edges line up. We cut the hole first rather than using a knife to make a slit after we assemble the pies so that it can stretch a little bit and help the top pastry fit over the filling.

Use a small fork to press the layers together around the edges. The dough is soft so don’t press too hard.

Brush the top with beaten egg so they bake up nice and golden. You can sprinkle with a little sugar as well if you like.

Transfer the pies to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and puffed.

Cool on a wire rack before dusting with icing sugar to serve.

Cook’s Notes:

• This dough is very forgiving to work – it may seem too soft when you are mixing it but it ends up the perfect texture for easy handling later.
• These travel very well so are a great option for a picnic or to take on a car trip over the holidays.

 -These pies are best within 2 days of baking but will be ok for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature – 

Adapted from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh.

© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.