Christmas Fruit Mince Tart
There's nothing quite like the delicious aroma of a freshly baked Christmas Fruit Mince Tart to let you know the festive season has really begun. With brandied fruit mince and a buttery almond pastry, this recipe is perfect for a Christmas feast.
One of my favourite treats at this Christmas time is fruit mince pies. This year I’ve tweaked my recipe a bit and made one big and beautiful Christmas Fruit Mince Tart, perfect for slicing and sharing.
What fruit is used in Christmas Fruit Mince Tart?
Fruit mince pies have been baked for a very long time and have wandered through many countries and cultures to arrive in the form we know today. As such, there is no definitive set of ingredients, but I like to use sultanas or raisins, dried apricots and dried figs in my fruit mince tart.
This is a tart to feed a crowd!
Because fruit mince tarts are relatively rich and sweet, a little goes a long way. That means it is the ideal recipe to serve at your Christmas party or gathering.
Equipment
I’ve written this recipe to suit a rectangular 34 x 12 cm tin, but the amount of filling and pastry in this recipe will easily fit a standard round tart tin, or you could use it to make lots of little mince pies using muffin tins. It’s very flexible.
More Christmas REcipes!
I love Christmas cooking and over the years I’ve shared loads of recipes here on Days of Jay – click here to see more tasty Christmas recipes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I make Christmas Fruit Mince Tart nut-free?
Yes! Simply omit the nuts from the fruit mince and the pastry. You may need to add a touch more flour to the dough if you find it is too sticky.
I don’t drink alcohol. Can I leave it out of this recipe?
Definitely! Replace the alcohol in the fruit mince with the same amount of fresh orange juice. Reduce the sugar in the fruit mince to 100g.
Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe?
Fruit mince pies are always fairly sweet, however, you can reduce the sugar – you’ll need to experiment and taste as you go. I’d recommend a minimum of 75g of sugar in the fruit mince.
Do I have to blind bake the pastry?
No, and I often don’t. However, blind baking ensures the tastiest results.
What is ‘Mixed Spice’?
Mixed spice is a mixture of baking spices commonly sold in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice as the main ingredients. You can substitute it for Pumpkin Spice or similar in the US.
Christmas Fruit Mince Tart
There's nothing quite like the delicious aroma of a freshly baked Christmas Fruit Mince Tart to let you know the festive season has really begun. With brandied fruit mince and a buttery almond pastry, this recipe is perfect for a Christmas feast.
Ingredients
for the pastry:
- 300 g plain or all-purpose flour
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g almond meal, ground almonds
- pinch of salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- flour for dusting
for the fruit mince:
- 125 g brown sugar
- 75 g butter
- 100 g sultanas or raisins
- 100 g dried apricots, diced
- 100 g dried figs, diced
- 100 g candied orange peel
- 1 apple, peeled and finely diced
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 50 g slivered almonds
- small piece of ginger, finely grated
- 2 tsp mixed spice, see note
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 100 ml brandy, or rum
to assemble:
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
to serve:
- icing / powdered sugar
Instructions
- MAKE THE PASTRY: To make the pastry, combine the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment fitted. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the almond meal and the egg yolks, then run the mixer until the pastry begins to clump together.
- SHAPE THE DOUGH: Turn out onto the benchtop and knead the pastry very briefly until smooth. Form into a flat rectangle and wrap in cling film. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- MAKE THE FRUIT MINCE: Combine the sugar and butter in a medium saucepan, stirring until the butter has melted. Add all other ingredients except the alcohol and heat gently. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the mixture doesn’t catch.
- ADD THE ALCOHOL: When the fruit mince has cooked, stir through the brandy or rum and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- PREPARE TO BAKE: Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4. Grease a long, rectangular (34cm x 12cm) tart tin with butter.
- ROLL OUT THE PASTRY: Divide the pastry in half and roll out one half between two pieces of cling film to a rectangle long enough to fit the tin. Press into the tin, roll the rolling pin across the top to trim.
- BLIND BAKE: Line the pastry case with a layer of baking paper, fill with rice or dried beans and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove, carefully lifting out the paper, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- FILL THE TART: Spoon all of the fruit mince mixture into the tart case, smoothing the top.
- MAKE THE DECORATIONS: Roll out the remaining dough between two sheets of clingfilm. Use star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out pastry decorations for the top. Any leftover pastry can be frozen and used for pastry cases or cookies.
- GLAZE AND BAKE: Arrange the stars on the top of the tart, brush with beaten egg, then bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. When cool, dust with icing / powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
What is sold as ‘mixed spice’ in the U.K, Australia and New Zealand is similar to gingerbread or pumpkin spice mix and can be substituted.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1141IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg
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