Petite Mince Pies

Ingredients:

Filling
200g Mixed Fruit, chopped
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 cup brandy

Pastry
1/2 cup Almond Meal
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 egg and 1 Tbsp water, lightly beaten

Icing sugar, to dust

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.

To make pastry, place almond meal, flour, sugar into a food processor and process until combined. Add butter and egg mixture and process until a ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 24 circles from pasty. Line base of 24-hole non-stick mini muffin pan (or use two 12-hole pans). Fill cases with fruit mince.

Re-roll remaining pastry and use a 4cm-diameter fluted pastry cutter to cut 24 circles for the lids. Brush underside of lid lightly with water before gently pressing onto pie.  Cut a small cross in middle of each lid.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.  Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Happy Christmas!

Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

Fruit:
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon zest

Batter:
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar (caster)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
ground cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. 
Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt.
Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.
Add blueberries, sugar and zest to a bowl and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl mix together the batter ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Stir in the milk, just to combine.
Pour blueberries over melted butter in pan. Drizzle batter over the top. Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon. 
Bake at 165 degrees C for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top.
Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream.

Enjoy!