Christmas Delights

  Re-posting this here 2 December 2024.

This post is still relevant and I will soon be baking Christmas mince pies with my home-made fruit mince.

Recipe below.

I know this is well past the season but I had taken lots of photos for a blog post and so I have decided to still share with you here my favourite Christmas baking.

Christmas Fruit Mince Pies

First of all I like to make my own fruit mince if possible. I have done it most years for some time now. I love the process of bringing all the ingredients and flavours together and it isn't difficult or time consuming.

Years ago a friend gave me this recipe and it is an old English recipe that she got from a lady when she was living in England.

I do generally use a brought sweet shortcrust pastry though as I like it much better to homemade which may sound strange but Edmonds make a really nice pastry. It comes in sheets which is easy to roll out to the desired thickness.

I think the photos tell the story and I will put the recipe at the bottom of the photos.

This was only the first batch. A couple of weeks later I made another batch of mince pies as the fruit mince keeps really well in the fridge for several months, even up to a year. Thanks to the brandy!

Recipe:

500 grams sultanas

500 grams raisons

250 grams currants

100 grams mixed peel or dried cranberries

730 grams redskin apples

150 grams butter

500 grams sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 large oranges - finely grated zest

1/4 cup brandy

Measure dried fruit and set aside.

Grate apples, leave the skin on. Add to the dried fruit along with any apple juice from the grating.

In a saucepan place the butter, sugar and spices and salt, stir over a low heat until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. ( if it takes a long time I add some orange juice squeezed from one of the oranges ).

Add the fruit and stir well. Any undissolved sugar will mix in at this stage and it will be fine. Raise the heat a little and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in orange zest and brandy.

Either spoon into hot sterilised jars and it will keep up to a year or place into containers in the fridge to use.

To make the pies, roll out pastry to desired thickness, about 5mm, cut small circles with a glass to fit your muffin pans. I use mini muffin pans. Place the pastry in and press around to fit the pan, then place a teaspoon of fruit mince on the pastry. Cut a small star out of the pastry with a star cutter and place on top. I bake them at 180 degrees celsius for about 15 minutes until golden.

Delicious with a good strong cup of tea or a nice christmas fruit tea.

I hope you enjoyed this post, feel free to leave a comment letting us all know what your favourite christmas baking is. Thank you for visiting.

Have a great week.

Blessings, Fiona 

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.' Ephesians 6:7