These Easy Mini Fruit Mince Tarts are perfect for entertaining and gifting. Buttery pastry filled with rich fruit mince makes a classic bite-sized Christmas treat everyone will love.
Fruit Mince Filling
Ingredients
½ Granny Smith apple, peeled & coarsely grated
80g (½ cup) sultanas
60g pitted prunes, chopped
55g raisins
40g (¼ cup) currants
50g (¼ cup) red glace cherries, chopped
30ml dry sherry or dark rum (optional, see tip)
1 orange, zested and juiced
¾ tsp mixed spice
25g Western Star Chef’s Choice Unsalted Butter
35g brown sugar, firmly packed
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
Combine apple, dried fruit, sherry, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and ½ cup of water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside for about 30 mins to cool to room temperature. Coarsely grate butter over the cooled fruit mince, add the brown sugar and stir well to combine.
Meanwhile, make the pastry.
Tips & Hints
You can replace sherry or rum with extra 30ml of orange juice if you prefer a non-alcoholic option.
Pastry
Ingredients
2⅓ cups (350g) plain flour
¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
200g Western Star Chefs Choice Unsalted Butter, chopped and chilled
2 eggs
2 tbsp chilled water
1 tbsp white sugar
Method
To make the pastry, add flour, caster sugar and chopped unsalted butter to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and chilled water. Process until pastry just comes together, adding more water if necessary.
Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Kneed gently until smooth. Shape into a 2cm thick disc. Wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 30 mins or until firm enough to roll out.
Roll pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Cut rounds of pastry to line the pan, then cut stars using a small star cookie cutter. Line each muffin cup with pastry, add a spoonful of fruit mince and top with a star.
Lightly beat remaining egg. Brush the stars and edges of the pastry with egg and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake for 15 mins or until golden. Allow to cool in tray.
