WINNING MINCE PIES
Pastry:
500 ml cake flour
5 ml baking powder
3 ml salt
180 g butter
125 ml sugar
1 egg
10 ml ground cinnamon
400 g fruit mince
icing sugar for serving
Almond topping: 250ml ground almonds
120ml castor sugar
2 eggs
80g butter, softened
5ml almond extract
45ml flour
Makes about 24
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Cream the butter and sugar well until it becomes light and fluffy, then beat in the egg.
Add the flour mixture and cinnamon. Mix well.
Knead lightly until smooth.
Roll the dough out, to 3mm thickness, on a floured surface. Cut out 8cm circles with a biscuit cutter. Line shallow muffin pans with the circles.
Place a spoonful of fruit mince in each pastry case. Cover with a spoonful of the almond mixture.
Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until topping is golden brown. Remove and cool. Sift with icing sugar before serving.
ALMOND TOPPING:
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process to form a smooth mixture.
NOTE: This dough also makes delicious spice cookies.
If you have any dough left from making the mince pies, use it to make cookies by rolling the dough into balls.
Place them on a greased baking tray, flatten with a fork and bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Photo: Christine Valentine
