CHERRY AND BERRY FRUIT MINCE PIES
(Makes 24)
FILLING
250 g dried fruit mix
1 apple, peeled and grated
250 g pitted fresh SWEET CHERRYTIME cherries
60 g dried cranberries
100 g soft brown sugar
50 g butter
2,5 ml ground cinnamon
2,5 ml ground ginger
60 ml orange liqueur OR orange juice
PASTRY:
300 g cake flour
185 g butter (cold), cut into blocks
50 g icing sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla pod or use 10 ml vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
±50 ml ice cold water
egg wash for brushing (1 egg mixed with 30 ml milk)
castor sugar for sprinkling
icing sugar for dusting
METHOD:
- TO MAKE THE FILLING: Place all the filling ingredients plus 50 ml water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir for a few minutes
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the fruit has softened and the mixture has thickened. Cool completely
- TO MAKE THE PASTRY: Place the butter, flour and icing sugar in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form.
- Beat together the vanilla, egg yolk and iced water.
- Add just enough of the liquid to the dry ingredients until the pastry just comes together, adding extra iced water, if necessary.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- TO MAKE THE MINCE PIES: Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 2 muffin pans very well
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and use a 7/8cm round cookie cutter to cut out 24 discs. Reroll the dough cuttings and cut out 24 stars
- Place the pastry discs into the prepared muffin pans, add filling and brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash
- Top with a star, brush with more egg wash, dust with castor sugar and bake for ±20 minutes until the pies are golden brown and cooked
- Remove the pies from the pans after cooling for 5 minutes
- Cool and dust with icing sugar just before serving
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