Fig and Dark Chocolate Port Mince Pies
Add a touch of sophistication to your Mince Pies this Christmas with some simple but special ingredients
Servings: 36 Mini Pies
Cost: $$$
Equipment
- Food Processor (Optional)
- Tart Tray
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting Board and Knife
- Citrus Juicer (optional)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mixed peel
- 100 g dried cranberries
- 200 g currents
- 1 ½ cups dried figs roughly chopped
- ¼ cup ground almonds
- 2 granny smith apples grated
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped I used 70%
- ⅓ cup crystallised ginger roughly chopped
- 200 g raisins
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 4 tbsp Chocolate Port I used Chalmers Tawny Port - Original Chocolate
- 6 sheets frozen short crust pastry or make your own
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (165° fan forced, 350°F)
- Take pastry sheets from the freezer to defrost
- Add the first 16 ingredients to the bowl of a food processor (I did it in 2 batches) and blitz on low speed for 30 seconds
- Using a cookie cutter which is bigger than your tart case, cut 36 circles for the base of your tarts. Using a smaller star shaped cutter, cut 36 stars for the tops of your tarts
- Press the cut circles or pastry into the tart cases, which have been lightly oiled.
- Fill each tart case with mince filling until almost at the top and press down slightly
- Place a star of pastry on top of each tart and press down slightly on the edges to join to the tart base.
- Bake for 15 minutes for mini pies (or 20 minutes for larger ones)
- Allow to cool on a wire rack
- When ready to eat, dust with some icing sugar and enjoy!
Notes
Left over fruit mince can be kept in an air tight jar in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Feel free to leave out ingredients or add some to your taste - this is a really versatile (forgiving) recipe.
Change the Chocolate Port for Rum, Brandy or Whisky if that's what you have at hand but I quite like (aka LOVE) Chocolate Port and I think it makes it that little bit special.
Let me know how you go in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you.
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