Ingredients
Pastry:
280gm plain flour
25gm ground almonds
175gm butter
85gm golden caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 drop of pine essential oil
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsp milk
Homemade mincemeat:
300gm mixed dried fruit (sultanas/raisins/currants/mixed peel)
100gm semi dried dates
50gm grated “Mistress” chocolate from Feeding Your Imagination (if you’re not lucky enough to have a bar lying around then by all means slum it and use any dark chocolate 70% plus will be just as good – just add 1 little pinch of chilli powder if using just plain choc)
3 English apples, grated (I use Cox!)
1tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp each of nutmeg, mixed spice & cinnamon
Zest & juice of 1 lemon & 1 orange
5 tbsp rum or brandy which ever your tipple or go half & half
2 tbsp olive oil
Icing sugar to finish
Method
Preheat oven to 190/375 – gas 5
For the pastry, add flour & almonds to food processor, add butter & pulse till breadcrumbs, sprinkle in sugar, zest, add egg, essential oil and milk, pulse till it comes together, remove from bowl and squeeze together if dry add a couple of drops of water, roll into a ball, wrap in cling film, chill for about half hour.
Take all the mincemeat ingredients and place into food processor pulse a couple of times, remove and leave to infuse flavours.
Roll out pastry to approx a couple of mm thickness and using round or fluted 7in cutter cut approx 12 discs out to sit in your bun tin. Then using a smaller 6in round or fluted cutter, cut 12 more discs of pastry out for the top.
Spoon 2 tsps of the mincemeat into the pastry bases and dampen the sides, place the smaller pastry lid on top, egg wash then bake for 12-15 mins or until golden brown. Remove onto wire rack to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve with a good strong cuppa Yorkshire tea!
Recipe submitted by…
Paul Da-Costa-Greaves @ Feeding Your Imagination
Bristol
www.feeding-your-imagination.co.uk