Mini Mincemeat Crumble Pies Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE MINCEMEAT

140g ready-washed luxury mixed fruits (cut any cherries into quarters)

50g seedless red grapes , chopped small

25g chopped almonds

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp ground mixed spice

3 tbsp brandy

FOR THE PASTRY85g butter , chilled and cut into cubes

175g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp light muscovado sugar

finely grated zest of 1 small orange

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPINGknob of cold butter

25g plain flour

1 tbsp light muscovado sugar

1 tbsp almonds , finely chopped

Method

Make the mincemeat by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Set aside for 30 minutes so the fruit absorbs some of the liquid.

Make the pastry in a large bowl or food processor by blending the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar and orange zest and then 2 tbsp water.

Bring the mixture together with your hands, adding a few more drops of water if it feels a little dry.

Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4.

Roll out half the pastry (keep the other half wrapped in the fridge) on a lightly floured surface.

You want the pastry to be very thin, so it is crisp when cooked.

Cut out 12 circles of pastry with a plain 6cm cutter (you will need to re-roll the pastry a couple of times) and use to line a 12-hole, non-stick mini muffin tin.

It is quite a soft pastry, so any little gaps that form as you are lining the holes can easily be patched up.

Chill while you make the topping.

In a small bowl, make the crumble topping by rubbing the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar and almonds.

With a teaspoon, fill each pastry case with mincemeat, gently pressing it down to leave room for the topping.

Sprinkle the topping over each pie, place the tin on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

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