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Sekai Gohan
Mince Pies: Australian Summer Christmas Tarts with Brandied Fruit
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and coarsely grated | 2 small (about 5 oz / 150 g each) | Sharpness and moisture |
| Sultanas | 4½ oz (130 g) | The main sweetness |
| Currants | 4 oz (115 g) | Tartness and small, chewy fruit |
| Seedless raisins | 4½ oz (130 g) | Sweetness and body |
| Mixed peel, or chopped glacé apricots | 2¾ oz (75 g) | Citrus scent and a little bitterness |
| Blanched almonds, roughly chopped | 1¾ oz (50 g) | Richness and crunch |
| Brandy, or apple cider | ½ cup (125 ml) | Aroma and liquid for cooking the fruit |
| Orange, zest finely grated and juiced | 1 | Citrus aroma and acidity |
| Lemon, zest finely grated and juiced | 1 | Sharpens the flavor |
| Mixed spice | 2 tsp | The main spice flavor |
| Ground ginger | ½ tsp | Warmth |
| Ground cloves | ¼ tsp | A strong, dark spice note |
| Dark brown sugar, lightly packed | 3½ oz (100 g) | Sweetness, color and moistness |
| Unsalted butter, coarsely grated, for the mince | 2 oz (60 g) | Richness and a soft texture |
| Plain (all-purpose) flour | 1 lb 5 oz (600 g) | Structure |
| Icing (powdered) sugar, sifted | 4½ oz (125 g) | Sweetness and a short, tender crumb |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | Lightness and clean release from the tin |
| Salt | ½ tsp | Seasoning |
| Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed, for the pastry | 10¾ oz (300 g) | Flavor and a crumbly texture |
| Egg yolks | 2 | Binding and color |
| Iced water | ⅓ to scant ½ cup (80–100 ml) | Brings the dough together |
| Granulated sugar | a little | A crunchy sprinkle on the lids |
Steps
1Put the fruit, spirit and spice in the pan
Peel and core the apples, then grate them coarsely into a medium saucepan. Add the sultanas, currants, raisins, peel, almonds and brandy. Add the orange and lemon zest and juice, the mixed spice, the ginger and the cloves. Leave the sugar and butter aside for now. Stir once. The mixture is ready when it looks loose and wet, with juice pooling on the bottom of the pan.
2Simmer low until the liquid is gone
Set the pan over low heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Keep the heat low, because high heat scorches the base and makes the mince bitter. If it starts to catch, add a splash of water. It is done when most of the excess liquid has gone. When you tilt the pan, nothing should run straight away, and a spoon drawn through should leave a track.
3Cool, then stir in the sugar and butter
Take the pan off the heat and leave the mince to cool for 40 minutes. When it feels cool to the touch, no warmer than your skin, stir in the dark brown sugar and the grated butter. If the butter goes in while the mince is hot, it separates out. Taste, and if the mince needs more sharpness, add a squeeze of lemon juice. The mince is ready when the sugar has disappeared and the butter shreds have melted in, leaving it glossy and thick.
4Rub the butter into the flour
Combine the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, then add the cold cubed butter. Rub the butter in with your fingertips, palms facing up, lifting the mixture as you go. Work quickly so the butter stays cold. Stop at coarse breadcrumbs, while flecks and a few larger lumps of butter are still visible.
5Bring the dough together and chill it
Whisk the egg yolks with ⅓ cup (80 ml) of the iced water and sprinkle the mixture over the crumbs. Mix with a round-bladed knife, using cutting strokes. Pinch a little dough. If it holds together, add no more water. If it doesn't, add the rest of the water. Turn it out and knead lightly for about 30 seconds, just until smooth. Divide it into three, shape each piece into a disc, wrap them and chill for 20 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Handle it as little as you canToo much kneading makes the cases shrink and bake hard, and warm butter makes the pastry slump. Press the dough together, give it the short knead, and get it into the fridge.
6Roll, cut and line the tins
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 340°F (170°C) fan. Roll one disc out to ⅛ inch (3 mm) on a floured bench and cut 10 rounds with the 3½-inch (9 cm) cutter. Press each round into a hole of the tin, against the base and sides, and gather the offcuts. The pastry will not reach the rim. Repeat with the second disc to line 20 holes in total, leaving four empty. The cases are ready when they sit snugly with no gaps. Patch any tears with a thin piece of offcut.
7Fill and put on the lids
Divide the mince evenly among the 20 cases. Overfilled pies bubble over in the oven. Roll the last disc to 3/16 inch (5 mm), cut lids with the 2½-inch (6.5 cm) fluted cutter, and punch a hole in the center of each with the ¼-inch (7 mm) nozzle. Lay a lid on each pie and ease it out gently with your fingers so it meets the base. Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. The pies are ready to bake when every lid touches its case all the way around.
8Bake until deep golden
Bake both tins in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. The edges and lids should be a deep golden brown. The tops should look dry with no shine left, and the sugar should have crisped. If the pastry still looks pale, give the pies another 5 minutes.
9Rest in the tin, then cool on a rack
Leave the pies in the tin for 10 minutes. Hot pastry is fragile, and lifting the pies too early breaks them. Then lift them out onto a wire rack and leave them for 50 minutes, until completely cool. When they are ready to lift, a pie should slide free with a gentle nudge or a tilt of the tin. The bottoms should be golden, not white.
Cool fully before storingIf you pack the pies away while they are still warm, they go soft. Wait until the bases feel cool all the way across before they go into a container.