Homemade Christmas Mince Tarts

November 19, 2018

Delicious homemade Christmas Fruit Mince Tarts. This is the BEST recipe, over 40 years old, handed down through grandmothers and friends. With perfect sweet shortcrust pastry & fruity mince, these are crowd pleasers! A unique Christmas gift idea for men & women, a teacher or neighbour. A Xmas present for mum and dad.  If you do not have time to make your own Christmas baking, see our delicious range of Gourmet Sweet & Savoury Christmas Hampers. If you love tarts, our Caramel Tarts & Sweet Treats Hamper includes scrumptious caramel tarts in sweet shortcrust pastry and delightful Celebration Truffles. And our Christmas Gourmet Food Hamper includes a range of sweet & savoury treats, including the Caramel Tarts & a moist Christmas Fruit Cake.

Christmas Fruit Mince Tarts

Fruit Mince

500g  sultanas

500g apples (peeled and decored)

500g packet of suet or shreddo

750 g currants

750 g white sugar

250g mixed peel

rind of 1 lemon

1 dessertspoon salt

dash of cloves, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg

Small tumbler of brandy or sherry.

1. Core the apples and put everything except the currants in a food processor.
2. Add the grated lemon rind and currants. 
3. Mix the entire ingredients together. Leave covered in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours. 
4. Bottle the mixture - it will last many months.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/4 cup sifted icing sugar

100g butter

1 Tablespoon cold water

squeeze of a lemon

1. In the food processor, add the butter (cut into small chunks).
2. Add the flour, icing sugar and butter and process for a few seconds, until the mixture is like breadcrumbs.
3. Add water and lemon juice and process until the mixtures forms a dough. Do not over mix.
4. Turn out the dough, onto a floured surface and knead lightly, into a round ball. Wrap and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Roll the pastry into rounds to fit a greased muffin tray (you can make larger ones or small ones). Keep enough dough to make the tart lids.  
6. Lightly press the mixture into the muffin holes. Top with fruit mince. Add a pastry lid (you can make a star shape lid, if you wish).
7. Bake in the oven at 190 - 200 degrees celcius for 13 - 15 minutes, or until golden.
8. Remove from oven and cool in the tray. 
9. Once at room temperature, store in an airtight container (they keep for up to a week). Or freeze them.
10. Before serving, sprinkle with sifted icing sugar.

Merry Christmas!

We have served our tarts on a Le Creuset BBQ platter in Marseille Blue. Also available in Cerise Red and Cotton White. Whilst designed to hold the BBQ meat juices on the plate, the platter also creates an impressive serving dish for salads, pasta and sweet treats. Available online, for Christmas.

 

Suggested Christmas Gift Hampers with Caramel Tarts & Fruit Cake

 

 

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